Safe Routes to School
Statewide
• Walk to School Day
• Student Travel Tally Week
• Crossing Guard Appreciation Day
• Bike to School Day
• Grant Opportunities
• 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.
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.
If you’re new to SRTS, be sure to check out this program brochure for some quick facts about Virginia Safe Routes to School.
Program News
February 3 -Introducing Virginia's Most Outstanding Crossing Guards of 2022!
This year's winners of the Virginia's Most Outstanding Crossing Guard award have been announced. You can view their profiles on our Crossing Guard Appreciation Day webpage to see how they go above and beyond to help students get to school safely. Also, don't forget that you can recognize your crossing guard's hard work on Crossing Guard Appreciation Day next Wednesday, February 8. You can say thank you, hold a Crossing Guard Appreciation Day event, or promote their efforts in local media. More information is available here.
December 15 - Recording from the Quarterly Conference Call is Now Available!
Thank you again to everyone who attended our December Quarterly Conference Call. The Virginia SRTS team enjoyed using the time to collaborate across the state. For those who missed the call, or would like to review discussion topics, the recording can be found here.
For those interested in attending future calls, be sure to visit the Events page to add it to your calendar!
December 1 - Nominations Open for Virginia's Most Outstanding Crossing Guard of 2022
Does your crossing guard stand outside in all types of weather? Are they always smiling and have a kind word as you travel to and from school?
Nominate your crossing guard for Virginia's Most Outstanding Crossing Guard award using our online form. Be sure to include a photo and story letting us know how your crossing guard excels. Nominations close on January 20, 2023.
Crossing guards are more important than ever as more students are walking or being driven to school. Be sure to thank your crossing guard on Crossing Guard Appreciation Day on February 8, 2023. Find event ideas, thank you cards, and graphics to post on social media on the Crossing Guard Appreciation Day page.
Program Purpose and Goals
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 >>
SRTS Building Blocks
Virginia SRTS has a new framework to guide local programs. Like you, it's goal-oriented, with the ultimate goal of helping more students to safely walk and bicycle to school. The framework has five building blocks:
- Equitable and Sustainable Program
- Safe Streets
- Welcoming Campuses
- Safe Behaviors
- Supportive Culture
Equitable and Sustainable Program is the most important of these building blocks, and the foundation for your program. It helps you evaluate and build support for your program so it can continue from year to year. It also ensures that the program is equitable and takes proactive steps to reach out to and benefit students who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), students with disabilities, students from low-income households, and other disadvantaged groups. Learn more about the building blocks and example activities in this document.
Success Book and Strategic Plan 
In 2020, the Virginia SRTS team wrote the Virginia Safe Routes to School Success Book, which documents the program’s history and accomplishments from 2005 to 2020. Click here to read the Success Book.
The first 2012-2017 Five-Year Strategic Plan guided the program through some major changes, creating the program structure and elements that exist today. Over the years the program has been fortunate to have consistent funding, but the funding situation has changed.
In spring 2021, VDOT convened stakeholders to develop a new strategic plan that can be used to secure dedicated funding and increase the effectiveness and reach of the program over the next five years. Click here to read the 2021-2026 Virginia SRTS Strategic Plan.
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