Un-Safe Routes to School?

February 15, 2012

One of the more egregious provisions of H.R. 7 is its elimination of the Safe Routes to School Program.

This wildly popular and cost-effective program not only helps children be healthy and safe, but involves the community in creating safer streets for all road users.

Why is this program being cut? Is it because Republicans don't care about the safety of our children? If they did, they wouldn't eliminate a program that addresses the gruesome fact that in 2009 along, 29,000 children aged 5-15 were injured or killed as they walked or bicycled on local streets.

Is it because they don't care if the obesity rates for our children are soaring, making them the first generation that may not outlive their parents? If they cared about this travesty, they would want to support, not cut, a program that provides opportunities for children to increase their activity, reduce air pollution, and make our streets safer for everyone who uses them.

As the City of Portland's Commissioner of Public Works from 1986-1996, I instructed the City's Transportation Bureau to develop a program to make walking and bicycling to school safer. This program became known locally as Safe Routes to School.

Since its inception in 2005, the national Safe Routes to School program has funded more than 4,300 projects in more than 11,000 schools, reaching 4.8 million school children with better sidewalks and bike lanes, educational materials and safe biking programs.

In my state of Oregon, Safe Routes to School programs have provided sidewalk and bicycle facilities in 62 schools and provided educational and enforcement funding for 126 schools. Countless other Oregon schools have benefited from pedestrian and bicycle safety education materials, curriculum training and bicyclist safety training.

Sadly, our streets are still not safe enough. At the start of this school year, a 9-year-old boy was badly injured when he was struck and dragged by a car while walking to school in my district. All because he had no safe place to walk.

Our children and our communities continue to need this program. Restore Safe Routes to School to H.R. 7. Let's send a clear message that the United States House of Representatives cares about their health and safety.