- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Boston — MassDOT’s Safe Routes to School Program Nationally Recognized for Efforts to Support Walking, Bicycling and other Safe, Healthy and Active Initiatives
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is pleased to announce its Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) has been nationally recognized in the annual state report cards issued by the National Safe Routes Partnership (NSRP). Massachusetts is ranked number one, along with California, in the national “Making Strides 2022” report, which measures how supportive states are of walking, bicycling, rolling, and providing tools and resources to help keep children and community members active. The report cards are based on four key areas: Complete Streets and Active Transportation Policy and Planning; Federal and State Active Transportation Funding; Safe Routes to School Funding and Supportive Practices; and Active Neighborhoods and School.
“We are honored to be recognized as a state that is ‘building speed’ in our efforts to support and fund active transportation programs for our children and communities,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO, Jamey Tesler. “Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, we will continue to champion initiatives that encourage safe walking, biking, and rolling for the Commonwealth through Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, Shared Streets and Spaces, and other MassDOT programs.”
The high scores in the key areas reflect MassDOT’s continued commitment to and prioritization of active and safe commutes for students across the Commonwealth. Specifically, Massachusetts received perfect scores for dedicating funding for active transportation and SRTS, providing special consideration for high-need communities, adopting goals to increase walking and bicycling, providing resources for SRTS initiatives, supporting equitable access to SRTS programming, and more. Massachusetts, along with California, received the highest score nationwide. To access the complete report, visit: https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/resources/report/making-strides-2022-state-report-cards.
The Massachusetts SRTS Program, sponsored by MassDOT and with funds from the Federal Highway Administration, promotes safer routes for students to actively get to and from school by fostering partnerships between community-led organizations, local law enforcement, education leaders, and public health departments. The program currently serves more than 1,000 schools in over 255 communities across the Commonwealth. Through these partnerships, the Massachusetts SRTS Program highlights the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety. The program also provides information, materials, and resources to support schools and communities with their local SRTS initiatives.
To access the Massachusetts SRTS dashboard of school partner activities across the state, visit: https://massdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/67b6b4eb55ad4c359ed67af1c2ebc6644.
To learn more about the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Program visit: https://www.mass.gov/safe-routes-to-school.
For more MassDOT news and updates visit: www.mass.gov/massdot or follow MassDOT on Twitter @MassDOT.
