Safe Routes to School

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program enables and encourages children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school safely. The program sets out to make walking and bicycling a more appealing transportation option for students in grades kindergarten through eighth, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age.

Forty years ago, roughly half of all children ages five to 18 years old walked and bicycled to school. Today, 85% of our children are driven to school either by bus or private vehicle. Approximately 25% of the country’s morning traffic is private vehicles driving children to school. The result? Increased traffic congestion, a reduction in air quality and the deterioration of our children’s health. And in Mississippi, 4 out of 10 of our children are at-risk of becoming overweight or are overweight and obese.   The goal of SRTS is to facilitate the planning, development and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools.

Mississippi Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is spearheaded by Cookie Leffler, MDOT Safe Routes to School Coordinator.  You can get in touch with Cookie by phone at: 601-359-1454 or by email at:  cleffler[at]mdot.state.ms.us

MS Safe Routes to Schools Network Project: In conjunction with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership & the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Mississippi was selected to form it’s own Network of individuals and groups interested in pushing forward the agenda for better and safer streets for children.  The State Network Project brings together state leaders to increase physical activity,ensure that federal SRTS funds are spent on quality projects, work to leverage additional state resources for SRTS initiatives, and advocate to remove barriers to walking and bicycling to schools through policy initiatives.

Want to become part of our team? Email bikewalk[at]bikewalkmississippi[dot]org, Subject: Safe Routes Network.

Learn more about the program, see success stories, best practices and ways to get involved:

• Check out the MS Network’s Accomplishments in 2010-2011. Check it out HERE. 
• Download the BRAND NEW report discussing Successes & Lessons learned from the Network Project around the US!  This document talks about our efforts with: Passing Complete Streets policies, engaging low income communities, School-Siting, Joint-Use agreements, issues on childhood obesity and so much more. Check it out HERE 

• MDOT’s Project Development Manual for Local Public Agencies
• National Center For Safe Routes to School
• Certified Bicycle Safety Instructors –for a listing of the League of American Bicyclists’ certified instructors located throughout Mississippi who are available to teach and train students and other groups in bicycle safety.
• MS Dept. of Education-Office of Healthy Schools
• Lesson plans centered on the goals of the Mississippi Safe Routes to School program are on the Health in Action on-line database.  These lesson  plans provide teachers with new ways to fulfill the health instruction requirements for K – 8 students.
• Statewide Crossing Guard Training Program – developed to assist in promoting the safe crossing for children in schools zones. For more information, call the MDE’s Office of Healthy Schools at 601-359-1737.
• MS State Dept. of Health – Office of Preventive Health MSDH offers presentations and assistance with Safe Routes to School education and encouragement activities like walking school buses and bicycle rodeos.

• Paul’s Amazing Trip (bicycle):  http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/paul.pdf

Let’s Go Walking, Mississippi!