City of Alexandria is looking for a P/T SRTS Coordinator

The City of Alexandria is currently recruiting for a part-time Safe Routes to School Coordinator. This position will be responsible for development, coordination, and implementation of the SRTS program for the City. This includes program development/planning/administration, marketing/outreach, education and training, event promotion, volunteer coordination, and program evaluation.

To view the full job post and to apply, visit Alexandria City Public School’s recruitment portal before August 23, 2017. For more information, you may also contact Mike Humphreys, NBCT, Instructional Specialist for Health/PE & Family Life Education for Alexandria City Public Schools.

Please note: This is a grant funded one year limited duration position, with the possibility of renewal.

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Wants Your Input on the Region’s Transportation Future

Want to have a say in the metropolitan Washington DC region’s transportation future?

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) is starting work on a new long-range transportation plan for the region, Visualize 2045. As part of their public outreach efforts, they are looking for information on issues that affect our travel and what would make our experiences better. Our input will help inform discussions among elected leaders and regional planners about the planning and funding decisions they need to make to improve our region’s transportation future.

Visualize 2045 is a new kind of long-range transportation plan for the National Capital Region. It will include projects and improvements for which funding is expected to be available between now and 2045, as well as those for which funding needs to be identified. In all, Visualize 2045 will highlight more than 1,000 regionally significant road and transit projects, hundreds of bicycle and pedestrian projects and key land-use issues facing the region.

To learn more and to take the survey, visit visualize2045.org and click on “Take the survey!” The survey will be available until July 31, 2017 and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete.

MD Transportation Alternatives Program and Safe Routes to School Funding Webinar, April 5th

Did you miss our webinar on MDOT/SHA’s Transportation Alternatives Program and Safe Routes to School Funding Opportunities?  View the webinar recording to learn how to take your ideas and shape into funding applications that are feasible and fundable.

Remember, MDOT/SHA will be accepting TA/SRTS applications from April 15 – May 15, 2017.

For more information, contact Marieannette Otero, Mid-Atlantic Regional Policy Manager.

Free webinar opportunity – MD Transportation Alternatives Program and Safe Routes to School Funding (April 5th)

Maryland Transportation Alternatives Program and
Safe Routes to School Funding
April 5, 2017, 2:00-3:30pm ET

Interested in submitting a Safe Routes to School funding application to the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), but not sure where to start? Have you applied for funding in past, but want to get a refresher on the requirements and the new application format? Join us on April 5th, for this 90 minute webinar where we will discuss SHA’s upcoming Safe Routes to School Program call for proposals and how to take your ideas and shape into funding applications that are feasible and fundable. Time will be allotted at the end of the webinar to answer your questions.

Speakers:
– Marieannette Otero, Mid-Atlantic Regional Policy Manager, Safe Routes to School National Partnership
– Jessica Shearer, Senior Transportation Planner, Wallace Montgomery

To register for this free webinar, click on this link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1240372642950082563

MDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Project Funding Opportunities

As part of its continuing efforts to expand bicycling and walking opportunities in the state, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) will hold a workshop this coming Monday, March 13, 2017 in Hagerstown, MD.  The workshop will provide information on MDOT’s upcoming funding opportunities for projects that support walking and biking. These include the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and Safe Routes to School (SRTS) among others.  If you cannot make it to the in-person workshop in Hagerstown, MDOT will also hold a webinar on Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

Both events are free, but registration is required.  Please visit Cycle Maryland‘s page for more information.

Finally, if you are interested in attending a webinar to be hosted by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership on Maryland’s TAP/SRTS program and how to apply for funding, please contact Marieannette Otero

Step By Step: How to Start A Walking School Bus At Your School

Step by Step: How to Create a Walking School Bus At Your School is a new toolkit developed by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, with support from the California Department of Public Health, that offers step-by-step guidelines, tips, and tools for planning and implementing a walking school bus program. Learn how to recruit adult volunteers, develop routes, promote the program, and ensure students have fun and stay safe along the way, with downloadable templates and worksheets to give you a fast and easy start.

Job Announcement: Coalitions & Equity Manager

Join the Safe Routes to School National Partnership – a fun, committed, flexible, and fast-paced nonprofit – and work with smart, passionate colleagues in advocating for active kids; healthy, equitable schools and neighborhoods; and the creation of strong, vibrant communities.

The Coalitions & Equity Manager’s primary responsibilities include leading and advocating around the equity-related components of our work in support of active communities. The Coalitions & Equity Manager plays a key role in a national initiative creating significant policy change at the state and regional level in support of increased physical activity.

In addition, the Coalitions & Equity Manager will provide technical assistance to local communities around the country that are seeking to improve their streets and neighborhood design, and will develop publications and other resources to assist with needs in the field around equity and active communities. The Coalitions & Equity Manager will also help the National Partnership to institutionalize its strong existing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Other responsibilities will include developing relationships with equity and other partners; managing a national task force; running webinars; providing trainings and presentations; and creating resources.

Applications are due by October 23, 2016. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as there will be rolling interviews. See the full announcement and detailed job description here.

Time to the turn the tide of road traffic injuries and fatalities

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is shocked and saddened by the news that, across the nation, road traffic injuries and fatalities have increased significantly this year. In the first half of 2016, 19,100 people were killed by traffic crashes in the United States. This equals

• Half the population of Manassas, VA; or
• Every single person living in Hyattsville, MD; or
• Full capacity of the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

                                                                                         source: Bike PGH

In the Greater Washington DC region, our hearts are broken as we stand with the families and communities that have recently felt this too close to home, with several pedestrians involved in serious and fatal traffic crashes in the month of August alone.

It is critical that our communities provide all students with safe routes to walk and bike to school. This means creating safe environments and teaching safety skills to people who walk, bicycle, and drive.

The National Partnership, together with our community partners, recommends the following improvements and policy changes to increase safety for students walking and bicycling, both short- and long-term:

• Sidewalks and bicycle paths that connect homes with schools;
• Student-friendly opportunities to cross streets – such as the presence of adult crossing guards, raised medians, traffic and pedestrian signals, and/or pathways that are safe, convenient, and accessible for students of all abilities; and
• Slow vehicle speeds and yielding to pedestrians and bicyclists, accomplished through roadway safety measures (traffic calming), speed limit reductions, and/or police enforcement operations.

Every day, millions of adults and children safely walk and bike to school or other destinations in communities across the country. Walking and biking are important activities that bring countless benefits to individuals and communities as a whole — through increased physical activity, better health, longer lifespans, and stronger economies are achieved. Our work and the work of our community partners brings an urgent and immediate need to address conditions that can put students at risk as they are walking or rolling to school.

We are committed to continuing to work with the governments and Safe Routes to School advocates in the region, through Vision Zero efforts and other important policy, funding, and community-building work, to ensure the safety of people walking and bicycling, everywhere — and especially on the streets known to be dangerous and at high risk for crashes.

New Regional Policy Manager for Mid-Atlantic

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is excited to announce that Marieannette Otero has joined our staff as the new regional policy manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region. With continued support from Kaiser Permanente,  Marieannette will be working throughout the Greater Washington, DC region as well as the City of Baltimore to advance policies that support Safe Routes to School and safe, accessible active transportation for everyone and to leverage funding to support active transportation.

Prior to joining Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Marieannette oversaw the Association for Safe International Road Travel’s Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Road Safety Program activities providing strategic and technical guidance to civil society organizations in Kenya and Turkey advocating for evidenced-based road safety policies in-country. Ms. Otero’s extensive experience in the non-profit program management and program implementation at the international and national level, include work as Director of the Networks Program for Sapientis (Puerto Rico), Logistics Coordinator for ORCID and Program Assistant for Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua at the Inter-American Foundation (Virginia). She has served as education policy and planning consultant for the Flamboyán Foundation (Puerto Rico) and Pizza Hut’s Book It! Program.

Marieannette holds a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature and Government and Politics from the University of Maryland and attended the University of Puerto Rico School of Law.

You can reach Marieannette at marieannette[at]saferoutespartnership.org.

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Releases Regional School Travel Data

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) released regional school travel data last week, after a request from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership was fielded for an analysis of the 2008-2009 Household Travel Survey.

The Household Travel Survey, conducted by the Transportation Planning Board of the Metropolitan Washington council of Governments collects information about daily trips from residents of the Washington region in order to assess regional travel demands, such as typical weekday travel behavior within the region. The 2008-2009 school travel data provided by MWCOG provides an excellent benchmark for measuring the success of the Safe Routes to School movement in the region, as it corresponds closely with the creation of the national Safe Routes to School program as well as a number of local advocacy movements.

A couple of quick highlights from MWCOG’s data:

Reported Usual Mode to Elementary School by Jurisdiction

	Private Auto	Transit	Taxi/Limo	Walk	Bike	School Bus
Alexandria	62.4%	6.1%	0.0%	21.6%	0.0%	9.9%
Arlington County	45.9%	0.0%	0.0%	19.7%	2.0%	32.5%
Charles County	31.2%	0.0%	0.0%	3.7%	0.0%	65.1%
District of Columbia	52.3%	6.2%	0.0%	27.6%	5.2%	8.6%
Fairfax County/Cities	33.2%	0.7%	0.0%	15.7%	0.7%	49.7%
Frederick County	43.5%	0.0%	0.0%	10.7%	0.0%	45.8%
Loudoun County	37.7%	0.0%	0.0%	8.5%	0.0%	53.9%
Montgomery County	50.4%	3.0%	0.0%	20.1%	0.0%	26.5%
Prince George’s County	46.3%	1.7%	0.0%	16.1%	0.0%	35.9%
Prince William County/Cities	30.4%	0.0%	0.0%	14.1%	0.0%	55.5%
Total	42.0%	1.7%	0.0%	16.5%	0.6%	39.2%

Reported Usual Mode to Middle School by Jurisdiction

	Private Auto	Transit	Taxi/Limo	Walk	Bike	School Bus
Alexandria	16.3%	8.1%	0.0%	37.1%	0.0%	38.5%
Arlington County	29.9%	4.4%	0.0%	24.3%	0.0%	41.4%
Charles County	30.4%	3.5%	0.0%	9.3%	0.0%	56.9%
District of Columbia	39.5%	13.5%	0.0%	22.0%	3.5%	21.6%
Fairfax County/Cities	16.4%	2.4%	0.0%	15.5%	1.0%	64.6%
Frederick County	28.1%	3.3%	0.0%	3.7%	2.3%	62.7%
Loudoun County	13.8%	0.0%	0.0%	12.1%	0.0%	74.1%
Montgomery County	23.8%	3.3%	0.0%	6.0%	0.7%	66.2%
Prince George’s County	35.6%	2.4%	0.0%	16.5%	0.0%	45.5%
Prince William County/Cities	12.2%	0.0%	0.0%	22.2%	0.0%	65.6%
Total	25.0%	3.7%	0.0%	14.3%	0.8%	56.1%

According to the data, more than 80 percent of elementary school children and nearly 85 percent of middle school children were transported by vehicle in 2008-2009. Specifically noted in MWCOG’s analysis, is that middle school students are more than 15 percent more likely to be transported by bus than elementary school students, likely due to school placement for older students.

While only 1.2 percent of all elementary and middle school students report bicycling to and from school, it is worth repeating that this data represents numbers just after the creation of the national Safe Routes to School program and predates many local advocacy efforts. The true test of the program’s success will come when we measure the increase in walking and bicycling in the most recent Household Travel Survey.

Where do we go from here with this information? As previously noted, it provides us with a strong benchmark for measuring regional success moving forward. In the near term, we can use this information to prioritize our efforts regionally, as we now have a clearer picture of where opportunities for change exist. Furthermore, the degree to which children are driven or bussed to school in the region lends strong evidence to the argument that school travel is a major contributor to rush hour traffic and air quality impacts. We will work with MWCOG to further measure those impacts, providing us with a strong new tool in the region to advocate for increased walking and bicycling among elementary and middle school children.

We are grateful for the hard work staff at MWCOG invested into compiling and analyzing this data.