Safe Routes To School Program (SRTS) is coming to Virginia! SRTS is a community-based program that aims to increase opportunities for daily physical activity by encouraging children to walk to and from school in groups accompanied by adults. Communities set up a task force, which can consist of the health department staff, school principals, parent teacher organization contacts, health and physical education teachers, local transportation and neighborhood planners, bike groups and walking clubs, school board members and superintendent, the police department (especially the school resource officers), city councilors and/or Board of Supervisors, etc. 

The Virginia Department of Transportation will begin funding SRTS programs through the SAFTEA-LU legislation THIS SEPTEMBER. There are two categories that will be available through the SRTS grant. First, infrastructure funds (also called “capital” funds) are used to assess and make improvements to the walking and bicycling physical environment around schools. These include many activities such as installing sidewalks or crosswalks, fixing hazardous facilities, or slowing traffic near schools. Second, non-infrastructure funds (sometimes called “program” funds) are used to educate or encourage children to walk or bike to school. These activities might consist of in-school safety education, public outreach activities, traffic enforcement, and other related activities.

Many federal and state safety-related funding mechanisms allow a portion of the funds to be used for ‘non-infrastructure-related’ programs, such as hiring a coordinator and providing safety training. Some non-profit entities such as PTA and churches are willing to fund SRTS because the programs improve the entire community by relieving traffic congestion, improving the environment, creating alternative transportation routes, and improving the health of children and the community. . For more information on the SRTS program or if you have any questions, please contact: Abigail Convery at 540-639-9313 or aconvery@nrvdc.org.

Governor Kaine Announces Safe Routes To School Program

Application Forms

SRTS Program Guidelines

SRTS Safety Improvement Project Application

SRTS Program Planning or Implementation Application

Presentations

Overview of Safe Routes Program (Alia Anderson Presentation)

VDOT Safe Routes to School Program Grant Details (Jakob Helmboldt Presentation)

Local Contacts

Interested in getting involved in a Safe Routes to School Program near you? Please contact the following representatives. Don't see your school? Contact Abigail Convery aconvery@nrvdc.org or 540-639-9313 x205 to help identify your support system.

City of Radford
Pat Harrison
Radford City Schools
pharrison@rcps.org

Floyd County/Town of Floyd
Jack McKinley
Floyd County Elementary School
mckinley@floyd.k12.va.us

Giles County
Eric Gentry
Giles County TAC
egentry@t-l.com

Montgomery County
Joe Powers
Montgomery County Planning
joepowers@naxs.net
540-394-2148

Town of Blacksburg
Dean Crane
Town of Blacksburg
dcrane@blacksburg.gov
540-961-1132

Town of Christiansburg
Nichole Hair
Town of Christiansburg
nhair@christiansburg.org
540-382-6128

Pulaski County
Shawn Utt
Pulaski County
sutt@pulaskicounty.org
540-980-7705

Important Contacts

State VDOT Program Coordinator

Jakob Helmboldt, AICP
Safe Routes to School Coordinator
Virginia Department of Transportation
101 N. 14th St., 19th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
phone: 804-225-3269
jakob.helmboldt@vdot.virginia.gov

Safe Routes to School Trainings and Workshops

University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC)

Katy Jones, (919) 843-7007 or jones@hsrc.unc.edu

This organization certifies trainers and provides research to support the Safe Routes to School Program.

UPCOMING NRV WORKSHOPS

Interested in having a workshop in your community to kick start your program? Please contact Abigail Convery at aconvery@nrvdc.org or 540-639-9313 X205 to set one up.