School is about to start and so is our charge to make Safe Routes to School for every kid in Oregon. Last spring we joined together as the For Every Kid Coalition and won $3.5 million for Safe Routes to School in the Portland Metro area. There are still thousands of kids throughout Oregon without a safe route to school and For Every Kid is back with a statewide vision.
You can improve health and safety for our kids. Tell Oregon leaders to invest in Safe Routes to School by signing the petition.
Why? Our kids are getting less exercise than any previous generation. One in four kids in Oregon is unhealthy and at great risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension—and eventually early death. Something as simple as walking to school every day isn’t an option for many families in Oregon. Too many communities lack safe sidewalks, bikeways, and crosswalks.
This is a problem you can solve: When kids walk and bike to school they can get 66% of their daily recommended exercise. A robust Safe Routes to School program would provide the needed safety around schools as well as education and encouragement programs for students allowing them to walk, bike, and access transit to school.
In the coming months, Oregon legislators will decide whether or not to fund safe routes to school for every kid in Oregon. Every kid deserves a safe route to school and a healthy future.
Stand up for every kid in your neighborhood right now! Sign the petition to make Safe Routes to School for every kid!
For Every Kid is a growing coalition of community, public health, and social justice organizations dedicated to making safe routes to school for every kid by advocating for dedicated funds for Safe Routes to School programs and projects that make streets safe. Supporters include the Community Alliance of Tenants, the Community Cycling Center, and thousands more.
Right now, kids who most need opportunities for physical activity don’t have the necessary safe infrastructure—sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes—in their communities and around their schools to support a healthy childhood.
Safe Routes to School Works! When education is combined with making streets safe, there is a 40% average increase in walking and biking trips to school. This kind of comprehensive program will have regional significance in regards to health, safety, and equity.