Safe Routes to School
Statewide
• Walk to School Day
• Student Travel Tally Week
• Crossing Guard Appreciation Day
• Bike to School Day
• School Travel Plans & Grants
• Resource Library
• Marketing Toolkit
• Zone In, Not Out
• Other Links / Partners
Welcome to Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS). Click here to read a welcome letter from Virginia's Safe Routes to School Coordinator.
If you’re new to SRTS, be sure to check out this program brochure for some quick facts about Virginia Safe Routes to School.
The SRTS program has been active in Virginia since 2007 and helps schools and communities make walking and biking to school a safe, convenient, natural activity.
Program News
July 26 - 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the first comprehensive civil rights law in the United States that prohibits discrimination based on disability. We celebrate the ADA for removing barriers that limit people with different abilities from participating in public life. In the past 30 years, state and local governments dramatically changed our transportation systems to accommodate all abilities.
Safe Routes to School has also adopted inclusive values to consider students of all abilities when planning programs or events. We look forward to continuing to champion the ADA and accessibility for all students.
July 1 - New Law for Pedestrians in Virginia
Effective July 1, drivers in Virginia must stop for pedestrians and must remain stopped until the pedestrian has exited the lane. Any approaching vehicles may not pass the stopped vehicle. This new law makes it illegal to drive around a vulnerable road user - this is excellent news for anyone walking, biking, scooting, or rolling in Virginia! Learn more about safe driving information and Toward Zero Deaths Virginia at tzdva.org.
June 4 - New LDL Crossing Guard Resource
Are you interested in implementing a crossing guard program in your community? Do you already have crossing guards but want to know more about them? If so, our new Learn it. Do it. Live it! resource provides guidance regarding crossing guards in the field and behind the scenes. Read here to learn more about crossing guard equipment, placement, recruitment, training, retention, funding, and liability. A big thank you to our panel of experts for providing valuable input.
May - Bike to School Day Recap
This year’s Bike to School Day was the first that we’ve celebrated from our own homes. But some things never change; families across Virginia enjoyed the benefits of active mobility as they pedaled around. Schools championed Bike to School Day as an opportunity to ride together, apart! Many students biked to their school and looked forward to biking to school together once again. While Bike to School Day may have passed, every day can be celebrated as a chance to enjoy biking and to remind Virginia’s leaders of the importance of safe walking and biking facilities.
Kilmer Middle School, Vienna
Program Purpose
Shrevewood Elementary School’s Healthy Living Festival, Falls Church VA
The SRTS Program is federally funded, created under Section 1404 of the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
The purpose of SRTS is to:
- Enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school
- Make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age
- Facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution near schools
In July 2013, MAP-21 (the new federal transportation bill) became law, folding SRTS into a new Transportation Alternatives program. SRTS projects are now eligible to compete for funding alongside other programs, including the Transportation Enhancements program and Recreational Trails program. VDOT’s Local Assistance Division manages the Transportation Alternatives program. More information >>
Non-infrastructure funding from SAFETEA-LU is still available through SRTS. For more information, please visit the Travel Plans and Grants landing page.
SRTS Strategic Plan
The Virginia SRTS Program completed a strategic plan to guide our work through 2017. Click on the cover at the right.
Contact
Katherine Graham
SRTS Coordinator
Transportation and Mobility Planning Division
Virginia Department of Transportation
1401 E. Broad St.
Richmond, Virginia 23219
katherine.graham@vdot.virginia.gov
Phone: 804-786-4198
Fax: 804-225-4785
TTY: 711
