Over the last decade, the Michigan Safe Routes to School (SRTS) team has been encouraging communities to think of their programming, planning and infrastructure design needs with a holistic, district-wide approach. Instead of focusing on improving active transportation for students and families around one school, they have been encouraging stakeholders to consider all schools in […]

Over ten years ago, Argentine Township and the Linden, Argentine, Fenton, and Fenton Township Pathways (LAFF) trails group envisioned a multi-community pathway that would connect cyclists across southwest Genesee County. With support from LAFF, Linden Community Schools, and the Genesee County Road Commission, Argentine Township embarked on a planning project for a multi-use trail project.

Building consensus among stakeholders is an important part of any Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project. At Madison School District, former superintendent and community champion, Ryan Rowe played a key role to gain support for their SRTS project with stakeholders that could amplify the project. Rowe understood that planning, application, and construction processes can take

After a school completed their surveys, and walking and biking audit, the next step is to start the action planning process. The action planning process is intended to engage community, and this case study on Mill Elementary school in Dearborn shows how they fostered community engagement to create their action plan. As the birthplace of

Motown, one of the affectionate nicknames of Detroit, is the birthplace of soul music, a style of music that has a flair of pop influence. It’s a city with soul in more than just its music. Its people have it too. They have a sense of positivity, pride and strength in the face of outside

Detroit, the “Motor City”, is known for the innovation of the automobile which is ingrained into mainstream culture. This, and much of Detroit’s history, means different things to different people with wide variations based on where residents live and how they move through the city. The appreciation of Detroit’s transportation history is especially true for

Highland Township is a suburb of Metro Detroit with a distinctive rural character which the community has worked to preserve. This rural setting, and the community consensus to preserve it, presented its own set of strengths and challenges as Highland Township worked and applied for the SRTS grant in 2015 to incorporate more walking and

When growing a Safe Routes to School program, many communities seek resources to conduct projects outside and beyond the SRTS grant. Traverse City’s Norte is leading the way, showing organizations how to leverage resources outside of SRTS. Norte is an organization dedicated to getting youth out on bikes and active in the Traverse City Area.

Situated between two partial highways, safe access to North Star Academy does not seem an obvious project to gain community support for non-motorized transit. However, Marquette Township and the school pursued Safe Routes to School funding for its first large non-motorized project in the area because the low match of the grant made it easy

Having a consistent and committed group of diverse stakeholders helps create a smooth Safe Routes to School planning process and leads into a strong application. It’s one aspect that can initially hold a community back from getting started.  This was the case with the City of Hastings, a small community on the west side of