The National Center for Safe Routes to School announced last week that it is now accepting applications for the 2012 James Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award an exemplary SRTS program in the United States.
The application deadline is Thursday, June 28, 2012, at midnight Eastern Time.
The Award, given annually, recognizes schools and communities that have improved the safety or increased the number of elementary and/or middle school students who walk and bicycle to school.
Past winners include:
- 2011: Heatherwood Elementary School (Boulder, Colo.) and Omro Middle School (Omro, Wis.) both received the Award. Heatherwood took on ambitious infrastructure, education and encouragement activities that increased the percentage of students regularly walking and bicycling to school. Omro integrated active commuting into its school culture through an innovative cycling program using a fleet of 35+ bicycles maintained by the school’s “Young Mechanics.”
- 2010: Alpine Elementary School (Alpine, Utah) increased the percentage of children who regularly walked and bicycled to school and encouraged families to shift habits to a less car-focused commute.
- 2009: Ben W. Murch Elementary School (Washington, D.C.) built community support and infrastructure for safe walking and bicycling to school and overturned a school policy that had discouraged walking and bicycling to school.
- 2008: Bear Creek Elementary School (Boulder, Colo.) engaged 70 percent of the student population in walking and bicycling throughout the school year.
- 2007: The Michigan Department of Transportation successfully and expeditiously implemented a statewide Safe Routes to School program.
Click here for more information and application guidelines. And if you’re just interested in starting up an SRTS in your community, contact GMTMA! We can help.