For many of us, walking or bicycling to school was a normal routine. Schools were located in the center of the neighborhood, and gridded streets lined with sidewalks allowed for safe pedestrian use. Now, what was once a part of our culture is becoming increasingly rare. Lines of bikes parked on a rack outside the school have been replaced with lines of cars waiting to drop off children. The decline in walking and bicycling has led to traffic congestion and air quality around schools, a decrease in safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and a sedentary lifestyle that often lends to childhood obesity

The purpose of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program is to address these issues head on. At its heart, the SRTS Program empowers communities to make walking and bicycling to school a safe and routine activity once again. The Program makes funding available for a wide variety of programs and projects, from building safer street crossings to establishing programs that encourage children and their parents to walk and bicycle safely to school.

Safe Routes to School is a National Program that began in July of 2005. Federal SRTS funds were distributed to every state based on student enrollment, with no state receiving less than $1 million per year. SRTS funds could be used for both infrastructure projects and non-infrastructure activities. As of September 30, 2012 the Federal SRTS Program has apportioned nearly $1.15 billion to states. These funds have benefited or will benefit more than 13,000 schools.

For more information on the future of the SRTS program