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    Safe Routes To School

    History

    The term “Safe Routes to School” was first coined in Denmark in the 1970s. Since that time, Safe Routes to School has spread throughout Europe and to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

    The percentage of students walking or bicycling to school has dropped precipitously, from approximately 50 percent in 1969 to approximately 10  percent in 2017.

    In America, the first Safe Routes to School program occurred in the Bronx in 1997. Three years later, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued funding for Safe Routes to School pilot programs in Marin County, Calif., and Arlington, Mass. Within a year of the launch of these programs, grassroots Safe Routes to School efforts were springing up throughout the United States.

    In 2005, the U.S. Congress approved $612 million in funding for SRTS programs to be implemented in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Across the nation, this federal funding was used to construct new or enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure around schools and to launch  SRTS education, promotion, and enforcement campaigns in elementary and middle schools.

    This funding ended on June 30, 2012, and was replaced by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) bill. The new legislation provides funding for Safe Routes to School and similar activities, but this funding now competes with other project categories, including rails to trails, scenic overlooks, and historic preservation. 

    Similar to MAP-21, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act on December 4, 2015. The FAST Act eliminated dedicated funding for SRTS and instead made SRTS projects and activities eligible for Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) funding.

    Congress approved the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) on November 5th, and President Biden signed into law on November 15th, 2021. IIJA continues the funding of SRTS projects and activities through the TASA program. Major changes to SRTS projects under IIJA include allowing funding for bicycle and pedestrian education activities for K-12 schools (formerly only K-8) and bicycle and pedestrian facilities within 2 miles of K-12 schools (formerly only K-8). Additionally, the restriction that non-profit sponsors had to be responsible for the administration of local transportation safety programs was removed.This funding ended on June 30, 2012, and was replaced by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) bill. The new legislation provides funding for Safe Routes to School and similar activities, but this funding now competes with other project categories, including rails to trails, scenic overlooks, and historic preservation. 

    Similar to MAP-21, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act on December 4, 2015. The FAST Act eliminated dedicated funding for SRTS and instead made SRTS projects and activities eligible for Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) funding.

    Congress approved the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) on November 5th, and President Biden signed into law on November 15th, 2021. IIJA continues the funding of SRTS projects and activities through the TASA program. Major changes to SRTS projects under IIJA include allowing funding for bicycle and pedestrian education activities for K-12 schools (formerly only K-8) and bicycle and pedestrian facilities within 2 miles of K-12 schools (formerly only K-8). Additionally, the restriction that non-profit sponsors had to be responsible for the administration of local transportation safety programs was removed.