Safe Routes to School Funding Needed in TEA-21 Reauthorization
posted June 19, 2003

This week, Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN-8^th) announced the Pedestrian and Cyclist Equity Act (PACE), which would dedicate $250 million per year in federal funds to creating walkable and bikeable communities.  In particular, it would create a Safe Routes to School program to improve safety for children walking and biking to school.  Grants available through PACE would also help communities encourage more physical activity through the design of their transportation systems, dedicating $25 million per year for grants for Active Living projects targeted at increasing physical activity through changes in transportation and community design.  In addition, $25 million per year would fund non-motorized transportation demonstration projects in three communities.

In early June, a series of articles called “The Shape We’re In” ran in papers across the nation on the rising obesity epidemic, including children, due in part to lack of physical activity.  Over 40 newspapers have published articles within the past few weeks.  These new Congressional and communications developments provide an excellent opportunity for you to write to your local newspaper editor regarding the need for support of the national Safe Routes to Schools bill and tie it into recent local health related press coverage.

ACTION NEEDED:

Write a Letter to the Editor calling on your Congressional representatives to support the Safe Routes to School bill

Click here for links to the "The Shape We're In" articles to find your local newspaper coverage

Click  to see the text of the PACE Legislation,  Bill Summary, and Dear Colleague Letter

TIPS:  

Sample letter:

Date

To the Editor:

Given the recent news coverage of the obesity epidemic and the need to change policies to make it safer and healthier for people, especially kids, to walk and bike in our community, I think that Congressman [Local Rep.] should become a leader for [State] by becoming a co-sponsor of the Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Act.  This bill would dedicate $250 million in federal funds each year to Safe Routes to School programs and model projects to encourage more walking and biking.  About 12% of traffic fatalities are people walking, yet less than 1% of federal funds are spent to protect pedestrian safety. 

[Newspaper] ran a series of articles on the obesity epidemic, "The Shape We're In", during the week of June [dates] which included shocking evidence that our next generation is a ticking time-bomb of chronic health problems.  For instance, one in three kids born in 2000 will develop diabetes.  Nearly 70% of today’s parents bicycled and walked to school, while only 18% of their children do today, according to recent survey by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. Experts point to the lack of physical activity as one of the reasons that over one-third of American children are overweight or obese.

[Personalize the letter, for example: I am involved with a local effort that is part of the solution,  the [Organization]'s Safe Routes to School initiative is working to make sure kids in our communities can safely walk to school.]

As Congress debates the federal transportation bill this summer, pedestrian safety and making local streets safer for all users should be a top priority.   When TEA-21 is reauthorized, it should include at least $250 million for Safe Routes to School initiatives, retain the Safety Setaside program and prioritize bicycle and pedestrian safety projects, and require state and local transportation agencies to count all walking and bicycling trips in annual traffic planning studies.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

Phone

Email

For More Information: Contact Andrea Broaddus at the Surface Transportation Policy Project at 202-466-2636.