National Reports

The reports below refer to the Safe Routes to School Program under SAFETEA-LU. In July 2012, Congress passed a new transportation bill: Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). Beginning in October 2012, Safe Routes to School (SRTS) activities will be eligible to compete for funding alongside other programs, including the Transportation Enhancements program and Recreational Trails program, as part of a new program called Transportation Alternatives. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is charged with putting the legislation into practice, and it provides information about MAP-21 on its website.

State SRTS programs are also in the process of determining how to handle the new legislation. As the States provide information about how they will proceed with Safe Routes to School, the information will be available on our State SRTS pages.

Federal Safe Routes to School Program Evaluation Plan

This plan lays out a course to understand the progress of SRTS that recognizes data needs and realities of data collection capabilities at the local level. To start, background on the Federal SRTS program and the genesis of the outcome evaluation plan are summarized. Next, evaluation components and the necessary data to conduct the evaluations are described. Building capacity for evaluation is discussed and then the plan concludes with a timeline that illustrates how the major tasks of the evaluation plan ft together. Throughout the document, specifc recommendations are included to distill the key actions required to enact the plan.

The implementation of this plan would require involvement from SRTS funding recipients, related professionals, State SRTS Coordinators and Federal Highway Administration, which administers the program. At the same time it would serve to inform both practitioners and policymakers at many levels of the results of SRTS.

Download a copy of the National Evaluation Plan (August 2011)

Federal Safe Routes to School Program Progress Report

This report aims to describe how federal and state agencies met the requirements of the legislation; the program’s reach and types of projects funded; and an overview of how state programs are administered.

To further explore issues related to funding and project delivery, the report examines obligation rates of SRTS funds and the practices perceived as supports and hindrances to obligation. The time frame for this report spans the passage of the legislation in August 2005 to December 31, 2010, at which point the legislation had been extended as new transportation legislation had not been passed.

The report’s aim is to inform policy and program decisions for FHWA, State SRTS Coordinators, and policymakers and stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels.

Download a copy of the Progress Report (August 2011)

United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL: Progress in Implementing the Program, but a Comprehensive Plan to Evaluate Program Outcomes Is Needed

Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate

In August 2005, Congress established the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program primarily to encourage children to walk and bicycle to school. GAO was asked to determine:

The steps the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and states have taken to implement the program
The extent to which FHWA and states have evaluated the results of the program, and
How the program is related to other surface transportation programs and some considerations for future reauthorization.

GAO reviewed statutes, regulations, and guidance; analyzed program obligation data and funds awarded by states; and interviewed officials with FHWA, state departments of transportation, and local grant recipients.

Download a copy of the GAO Report (July 2008)

U.S. School Travel Data Reports

This report describes how student school travel in the U.S. changed from 1969 through 2009 using information from the 2001 and 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) and the 1969 and 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Surveys (NPTS). The travel information presented in this report can be used as national benchmarks by communities, schools and Safe Routes to School programs to better interpret their results.

How Children Get to School: School Travel Patterns from 1969 to 2009

Download a copy of the school travel report (November 2011)

SRTS School Travel Data Reports

The SRTS Travel Data reports are national level reports based on Parent Survey questionnaires and Student Travel Tally forms submitted to the National Center by local SRTS programs throughout the country. These reports highlight key findings and provide information about student travel to/from school and parent attitudes about the school trip among elementary and middle schools that provided data.

Safe Routes to School Travel Data: A Look at Baseline Results

Download a copy of the baseline report (January 2010)

National Center Annual Reports

Increasing a child's ability to walk and bike to school became a national priority when legislation was signed into law August 2005 that provides funding for Safe Routes to School programs. This legislation also paved the way for the establishment of a national organization to assist programs across the country.

Each year, the National Center for Safe Routes to School, which serves as the clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program, completes an annual report to provide a thorough overview of the activities, products, and accomplishments of the National Center in that year.

2011-2012 Summary Annual Report
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2010-2011 Summary Annual Report
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2009-2010 Summary Annual Report

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2008-2009 Summary Annual Report

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Report: First 3 Years of the National SRTS Program

Download Report (PDF, 4.5 MB)

2007-2008 Summary Annual Report

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2006-2007 National Center Annual Report

Download Report (PDF, 1.4 MB)