National Safe Routes to School Organizations

SRTS National Partnership

Launched in August 2005, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a network of hundreds of organizations, government agencies and professional groups working to set goals, share best practices, secure funding, and provide educational materials to agencies that implement Safe Routes to School programs.

The Partnership is managed by a staff and governed by a Steering Committee comprised of organizations and agencies that have been developing SRTS programs and initiatives at local, state, and national levels. The Partnership includes such partner affiliates as the AARP, the American Heart Association, the PTA, and Active Living by Design.

SRTS National Clearinghouse

Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school. The Center strives to equip Safe Routes to School programs with the knowledge and technical information to implement safe and successful strategies.

The National Center for Safe Routes to School is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Highway Administration.

SRTS Network Project

In 2007, the SRTS National Partnership initiated the State Network Project to establish SRTS networks in nine states and the District of Columbia. The project brings together stakeholders from diverse fields to work with state Departments of Transportation to increase physical activity in students, to make the best use of available SRTS funds, and to remove policy barriers to walking and bicycling to schools.

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership recognizes that the potential for SRTS is much broader than the $612 million in funds approved by Congress in 2005 and available now through State Departments of Transportation. In March 2007, the SRTS National Partnership launched the Safe Routes to School State Network Implementation Project to leverage SRTS resources by creating stakeholder networks in the District of Columbia and nine key states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.

The nine states and D.C. were selected based on both need and their capacity to support the program. At the local level, each State Network will identify and provide technical assistance to a local school within the community.