

Hi To ExComm Folks


In my Transportation Report, I noted that we have been asked to sign a letter
of support to renew the Safe Routes to School program.


Below is the text of the letter that they are asking us to sign. That may not
have been easy to see in my report. Thanks!


Best wishes,
Robert
===============================================
[INSERT DATE]                      


The Honorable Nell Soto
Assemblymember, 61st District
State Capitol, Room 3091
Sacramento, CA 95814


Fax: (916) 319-2352 


 


Re: Support for AB 57: Safe Routes to School


Dear Assemblymember Soto:


On behalf of the [INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION], I'm writing in support of
Assembly Bill 57 which seeks to eliminate the sunset date for the "Safe Routes
to School" construction program in the California Department of Transportation
(CalTrans) and makes statutory changes in the Streets and Highways code to
conform to federal law.   The Safe Routes to School program is vitally
important for improving health and safety, as well as for reducing traffic
congestion in California's communities.


Since its creation in 2000, the California Safe Routes to School Program (SR2S)
has allocated more than $144 million dollars to local governments to improve
school area safety by installing new crosswalks, building bicycle paths and
lanes, constructing sidewalks and implementing traffic calming programs in
neighborhoods around schools.  While this has made a very positive impact on
California communities, we are aware that the program is so popular that each
year Caltrans receives approximately $130 million in qualified requests, for
only about $22 million in funding that has been available.  It's critical that
we continue our state support for this program.


In [INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION'S JURISDICTION] the California Safe Routes to
School program has made it much safer for children to walk and bike to school. 
[INSERT description of engineering projects funded by the Caltrans SR2S program
in your jurisdiction, and how the projects have helped your community. See
project awards list.]


A CalTrans report submitted to the Legislature on March 1, 2007 found that the
SR2S program has been effective in achieving its goals of improving safety and
increasing walking and bicycling for school children. Students whose usual
route passed the improvements were more than three times likely to begin
walking or biking to school than students whose usual route did not have the
improvements. By encouraging walking and cycling, the program provides
opportunities for increased physical activity, which is essential to combating
the increased incidences of childhood diabetes and obesity. The report also
makes several recommendations for the program's success, including a
recommendation to increase the total funding pool for Safe Routes to School.   


We greatly appreciate your longstanding commitment to and leadership on Safe
Routes to School.    


Sincerely,


NAME
ORGANIZATION
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL ADDRESS
 
cc: [INSERT NAME/FAX NUMBER OF YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER]  


Robert Bernstein
Santa Barbara, CA USA
rdb@swt.org
www.swt.org/robert 