Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are sustained efforts by parents, schools, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to improve the health and well-being of children by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school.

In 2013, Community Partners received funding from Safe Routes to School to hire another coordinator to begin promoting walking and biking to school. Safe Routes to School (SRTS) began working with six schools in Buffalo County. Each school surveyed parents to discover active transportation rates at their school and advocacy among school staff and parents took place. Activities such as national walk and bike to school days were celebrated each semester. Other activities included hosting bike rodeo’s and month long challenge active commuting challenges were implemented. Parent education and enforcement around school grounds contributed to the Safe Routes efforts.

Objectives

• collect data on number of students currently walking/biking to school
• increase the number of students who walk/bike to school
• raise awareness of walking/biking to school and its benefits
• increase safety for students who walk/bike to school
• promote weekly walk/bike to school days
• host walk/bike to school events on October 9, 2013, and May 7, 2014