This year’s State Network Meeting was hosted in Denver Colorado by the Safe Routes to School Partnership on May 16-18. Safe Routes to School National Partnership is implementing the State Network Project to leverage resources by creating Safe Routes to School state networks in nine key states and the District of Columbia. State Coordinators worked very hard to get the best and most from this meeting and by the end, everybody looked tired but happy. Everyone in attendance was interested in the health and safety of children.
Bike Texas Safe Routes to School Local Outreach Coordinator Fernando Martinez had the opportunity to work very closely with the new partnership and other coordinators from other states including Tonna Marcyes, Safe Routes to School State Coordinator from Texas Department of Transportation.
The project will link existing leaders associated with health, bicycle, pedestrian, youth, education, disadvantage communities, and smart growth organizations to help the Safe Routes to School federal program succeed and to identify viable projects for funding. The State Network Project will also work to leverage additional resources for Safe Routes to School and remove barriers to walking and bicycling to schools in the projects 9 key states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and District of Columbia.
