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Safe Routes to School Conference
August 2009
Portland, Oregon
Background
Our region's culture of walking and bicycling in Portland provides an unparalleled partnership, which together is hosting the 2009 national Safe Routes to School conference. Portland is at the forefront of a national movement to create healthy and sustainable communities. Savvy leadership and powerful community support has created a strong culture of active, healthy and sustainable transportation in Portland. For example, more people commute to work by bicycle in Portland than in any other major U.S. city, with a rate of bike commuting that is eight times the national average, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And recent research has shown that in Portland people have more money in their pockets, so-called "green dividends," because they walk and bike to school, the store and for other daily trips. IBPI and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) were motivated to host this conference because we know that physical activity contributes to health and want to share our culture, experience and success in getting kids to walk and bike to school with the professionals, advocates, parents, and children nationwide.
About Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School is an international movement with the goal of making it safe, convenient and fun for children to bicycle and walk to school on a daily basis. An increase in walking and bicycling improves community and personal health, benefits the environment, increases safety, and helps to decrease traffic and congestion around schools. Safe Routes to School works to reverse the decline in children walking and biking to school.
Conference Program and Areas of Focus
Safe Routes to School programs exist across the nation and vary in range from mature programs to those that are just starting. The programmatic themes for this year’s conference have been organized with the diversity of interests in mind in order to deliver the most relevant message to the most pertinent audience.
Transportation infrastructure and safety
Targeting engineers, professionals, and others to learn most relevant and cost effective infrastructure strategies to make children and families safe and comfortable while traveling by bike and foot.
Empowering families and youth
The conference will provide workshops and trainings on programs and research that are used to engage and empower youth and families to expand SRTS programs in their schools and communities, and serve a variety of age ranges.
Education and encouragement program development
Targeting education and program service providers to learn about program basics and best practices in the field on bicycle, pedestrian, and other safety curriculum concepts.
Health and Evaluation
Targeting health care practitioners, health professionals, program managers, to demonstrate how Safe Routes to School can provide evidence-based impacts on personal, community, and climate health.
Growing the SRTS movement
Targeting interested people and professionals that are working on, or are interested in, growing support and resources to accomplish SRTS work, including communication and marketing techniques, partnerships, policy work at the state and local level to leverage additional resources and the reauthorization of Safe Routes to School in the federal transportation bill
Contact Information
Lynn Weigand, PhD
Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation
Portland State University
PO Box 751 Portland, OR 97207-0751
weigand@pdx.edu 503-725-4042
Download this profile of the Safe Routes to School Conference
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