Resources: National Organizations

A number of organizations work to support Safe Routes to School programs.

National Safe Routes to School Organizations

SRTS National Center
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 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.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
RWJF gives grants to programs (such as SRTS) that combat childhood obesity and benefit the health of Americans. In 2009, it also published a report that explored "the challenges and opportunities raised during the implementation of the Safe Routes to School program."

Safe Kids USA
Safe Kids USA is a national organization that works to prevent accidents involving children. In 2000, Safe Kids worked with FedEx to launch the Walk This Way Program. The program hosts walk to school events on International Walk to School Day, leads year-round school safety committees, and has provided grants to "communities that plan communities to work with city leaders, traffic engineers and metropolitan planning organizations to improve safety for child pedestrians at high-risk locations."

National Physical Activity Plan - The Plan is a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and initiatives that aim to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Through the community-based KidsWalk-to School Program, the CDC aims to make routes to school active and safe in order to encourage daily physical activity and health.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA is about to release an update to their 2009 voluntary school siting guidelines. These guidelines reference safe routes to school in order to improve the health of people and the surrounding environment.