By Liz Kresse
July 16, 2007

Over 35 mayors attended a workshop June 25 on walkable cities and Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs and funding. The workshop, funded by Kaiser Permanente and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was offered as part of the Conference of Mayors ongoing work to promote active living and the reduction of childhood obesity through the “Mayors’ Healthy Cities Campaign.”

Diana Bontá, Vice President for Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, briefed mayors on Kaiser Permanente’s support for local, regional, and statewide interventions and policies that encourage healthy eating and active living in the communities that it serves. In Los Angeles, for example, Kaiser supports the City Recreation and Parks Operation Splash program by helping fund an extended season for city pools and underwriting the cost of swimming lessons for about 8,000 children and parents. In the policy arena, Kaiser has supported California state bill AB57 Safe Routes to School to allow for continued allocation of federal transportation funds for local SRTS programs.

Robert Ping, State Network Manager for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, provided an extensive overview of the Safe Routes to School program, a U.S. Department of Transportation program that provides funds to states under SAFETEA-LU to improve the ability of primary and middle school students to walk and bike to school safely. According to Ping, SRTS programs increase physical activity among children, improve unsafe walking and biking conditions, and improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions. Ping stated that of the $612 million in federal funds available nationwide for local SRTS programs, only $27 million has been spent so far (each state receives at least $1 million per year). He encouraged mayors to contact their state SRTS coordinators (located at state departments of transportation) for information on how to apply for funding for local infrastructure (e.g., capital improvements) and non-infrastructure (e.g., safety education) SRTS programs. To view a copy of Ping’s presentation, visit usmayors.org/chhs.

pital improvements) and non-infrastructure (e.g., safety education) SRTS programs. To view a copy of Ping’s presentation, visit usmayors.org/chhs.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who shared that he walks in the early morning for fitness, stressed that walking is inexpensive, promotes a sense of neighborhood ownership, and deters crime. To support walking, his administration funds a sidewalk repair program, a program that has developed 50 neighborhoods walking groups, and safety training. He stated that in regard to school children, walking is a “cheap way of making sure our kids get regular activity” and can serve as a way to meet physical education goals in federally-mandated school wellness policies. Menino also stressed the need to “infuse walking into the culture of the school,” and cautioned fellow mayors not to “expect huge changes overnight.”

San Rafael (CA) Mayor Albert Boro reported on Marin County’s Safe Routes to School Program, which is a national model. The program, that managed by the Transportation Authority of Marin, is funded through a local county-wide transportation sales tax of which 11 percent (approximately $1.8 million per year) is dedicated to the SRTS program. This local funding stream has enabled the county to secure over $4 million in additional federal and state grants to make improvements around schools, including $1.7 million awarded recently through the federal SRTS program, reported Boro. In addition, in 2005, Marin County received a $25 million grant from Congress (granted to only four jurisdictions nationwide) to develop a county-wide Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program. The successes of the Marin SRTS program, reported Boro, include significant increases in the number of students participating in local SRTS programs; the conversion of over 15 percent of single passenger trips to bicycling, walking, and carpooling; reports and decreased traffic congestion around schools.

Columbia (MO) Mayor Darwin Hindman, an advocate of active lifestyles and non-motorized transportation, reported that despite an “institutionalized car culture,” his city has made significant strides in promoting walking and biking. The city has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission that is responsible for the development of PedNet, the master bicycle/pedestrian plan for the city. Under Hindman, the city recently introduced new street construction standards to make new streets more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly and oversaw the successful passage of a $3.5 million ballot initiative to raise funds to build sidewalks around schools. Columbia has also been successful in securing one of four $25 million Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot program grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help build the city’s pedestrian and bicycling network. In addition, the city has received several SRTS grants and there are nine “walking school bus” programs in local elementary schools and a new “bicycle train program” pilot.

For more information on the obesity prevention activities and the Mayors Healthy Cities Campaign, go to the website usmayors.org/chhs.