Safe
Routes to School - Talking Points
Safe Routes to School, Talking Points -
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version
These talking points are intended to get us all talking about
what we want in the same way.
Describing the Legislation
“The Safe Routes to School program will help
communities make it safe, convenient and fun for
children to walk or bicycle to school.”
With physical activity angle:
“The Safe Routes to School program will help
communities make it safe, convenient and fun for
children to get healthy physical activity by
walking or bicycling to school.”
More detail:
“The Safe Routes to School program in the House
bill would devote an average of $167 million each year to
make it safe, convenient and fun for children to
walk to school. Communities would be able to fix
hazards and slow traffic near schools while
increasing safety through focused enforcement
and education programs.” The Safe Routes to
School program is included
in both the House and Senate versions of the
six-year transportation reauthorization
bill. The House funding level is preferable, as
it provides $1 billion for the program over 6
years. The Senate has funded the program at
only $420 million for the same period, or only
$70 million each year.
Messages about the details of the
Legislation:
We’re pleased Congress has included an
important new program focusing on children’s
safety in the new transportation bill. The
Safe Routes to School program will help
communities make it safe for children to walk
and bicycle to school, and we’re pleased both
houses of Congress have responded to a community
need by including the program in their versions
of the bill.
However, the Senate’s proposed funding level
for SRTS is not enough.
The Senate funding level is inadequate to
create a meaningful program or begin to meet the
demand. The Senate is proposing to spend
only $70 million nationwide, less than one half
of
the amount provided by the House bill.
Under this funding level, some states would not
receive enough funding to make more than a few
infrastructure improvements, let alone develop a
comprehensive program.
For example, in Oklahoma, the Senate funding
would pay for just 9 miles of sidewalk, leaving
nothing for education or encouragement programs
to serve the states’ more than 1,800 public
schools.
See the
funding chart to fill in information
for your state:
In _____________, the Senate funding would pay
for just __ miles of sidewalk, leaving nothing
for education or encouragement programs to serve
the states’ ___ schools.
The Senate funding is inadequate because
demand for Safe Routes to School projects is
high. In states that have established Safe
Routes to School funding programs, requests have
far outstripped funding. In Texas, a $3 million
pool was increased to $5 million after it was
swamped by 45 million in requests. In its first
year, the California program received requests
totaling $130 million for $20 million in
funding.
Why We Need National Legislation on Safe
Routes to School
Safety messages:
The Safe Routes to School bill will help make communities
safe again for walking and bicycling. For
too long, federal transportation safety programs
have focused almost solely on protecting
motorists. It is time to invest in protecting
the most vulnerable people out on the streets –
our children.
Safe Routes to School programs work. Over
just two years, the Marin County (CA)
comprehensive SRTS program increased the number
of children walking to school by 64 percent, and
bicycling by children rose 114 percent.
The Safe Routes to School legislation before
Congress will help remove one of the biggest
barriers to walking or bicycling to school:
safety. SRTS will improve safety by slowing
traffic and installing sidewalks. SRTS will
improve safety and reduce fears of crime by
promoting programs that arrange for kids to walk
to school together or with a parent.
Safety is a priority for President Bush in
the next federal transportation law, and the
Safe Routes to School program should be an
important part of that safety agenda. More
than 500 children die in the United States every
year while walking in their neighborhoods.
Safe Routes to School began as a grassroots
response to the dangers children face right in
their neighborhoods. A national program will
enable more communities make their streets safe
for kids. Statewide grant programs in California
and Texas were instigated by citizens, and once
in place, the demand was overwhelming. In
California, requests for funding totaled more
than five times the funds available, and Texas
received $45 million in requests for a $3
million program.
Health messages:
The Safe Routes to School bill will help
children avoid dangers beyond traffic – the
dangers associated with being sedentary and
gaining weight. Obesity is epidemic among
American children, and part of the reason is a
lack of physical activity. Local Safe Routes to
School programs have significantly increased the
number of kids biking and walking to school.
The Safe Routes to School federal program
will help fight the childhood obesity epidemic
by giving kids an easy way to get exercise every
day. Routine physical activity, such as
walking or biking to school, provides
significant health benefits.
The Safe Routes to School bill will give
parents the option of getting their kids out of
the backseat and onto their feet. Children
in the US spend an average of more than one hour
in a car every day, and traffic jams form around
many schools each morning and afternoon.
The Safe Routes to School bill can free up
parents, release kids from the back seat, and
clear congested streets.
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