As you read this, contemplate: what sweeteners might be necessary to pass a surface transportation bill that would contain a fuels tax increase vote in an election year?

Several articles have been written about the sweeteners offered to secure votes to pass the health care reform bill.  Some of  the more talked-about are the "Cornhusker Kickback", a provision Sen. Ben Nelson demanded in exchange for his vote, which "is expected to cost the federal government $100 million over 10 years" and the "Louisiana Purchase" gave that state an estimated extra $300 million in exchange for earlier support from Sen. Mary Landrieu.  Sen. Chris Dodd secured a provision for a $100 million grant program for a handful of hospitals, with his home state Connecticut a very likely recipient.

It's standard practice, for better or worse, for critical legislation where a very few votes mean victory or defeat, writes Josh Gerstein in Politico ("Pork greased reform's passage").  Although the recent sweeteners "dwarf" those of previous Presidents.  (Ed. note:  the article implies the President is responsible for the sweeteners, ignoring the likely involvement of Congressional leadership.)

In 1993 President Clinton cut deals to win ratification of the NAFTA..  "In what critics dubbed the NAFTA bazaar, aides practically invited lawmakers to set a legislative price for their votes. “The store is open as far as the White House is concerned,” one administration official told The Associated Press. Clinton reportedly won the vote of then-Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) by agreeing to support $1.2 billion in maritime subsidies, about $50 million of which went to a troubled shipyard in Studds’s district."

Gerstein observes that President Bush caved "during the 2005 fight to ratify the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) agreed to vote for the trade pact after winning a deal to protect his district’s status as the U.S. sock manufacturing capital. CAFTA passed in a 217-215 squeaker."

Photo: lovelaughheatlearn

Closing out the blog's Safe Routes to School week, here are two conference sessions on SFTS in early 2010.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (SRTSNP) is participating in a Thursday, February 4 panel discussion on Safe Routes to School. The occasion is the 9th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities Conference, February 4-6 in Seattle.

In March SRTSNP is participating in a panel session on Safe Routes to Schools at the National Bike Summit 2010, March 9-11 in Washington, DC.

As you read this, contemplate a surface transportation  authorization bill, which typically has very strong bipartisan support, as one legislative measure that could restore some positive working relationships among Members and improve Congress' public approval ratings.

Tensions are running very high in the Senate, and passing a climate change bill out of that chamber may be even more difficult than passing the health care bill.  Democratic Senators are much more divided on climate change issues, and Republican Senators said the "bitter battle" over health care has left them with little desire to collaborate ("GOP warns of harsh climate on energy bill").  It's hard to see how a bill could pass without some republican votes.

In "Cooped-up senators turn cranky" Politico reporter Manu Raju wrote "A marathon session of early-morning, late-night and weekend votes - all coming after senators are typically home for the holidays - has everyone on edge in the cooped-up Capitol, with testy exchanges and harsh recriminations replacing the clubby decorum that usually prevails in the Senate."  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said “There’s a lot of tension in the Senate. . . but I would hope everyone would go back to their gentlemanly ways.”

Other battles await in 2010 as a sharply philosophically-divided Congress tackles a jobs bill and financial industry reform.  And on top of that, it's an election year.

"We can really increase children's walking and biking safety without breaking the bank," according to USDOT Sec. Ray LaHood.

Blogging about a new report, Safe Routes to School: Putting Traffic Safety First - How Safe Routes to School Initiatives Protect Children Walking and Bicycling, LaHood concludes:  "Safety improvements at relatively low costs to communities and schools can have profound effects on keeping children safe while also improving physical health and the environment."

The report shows how Safe Routes to School programs are helping to keep children safe from traffic dangers while walking and bicycling to school. It highlights the progress achieved at state and local levels over three years, including major accomplishments, lessons learned and next steps."

LaHood describes the results of five programs highlighted in the report:

The five communities in the report demonstrate that the Safe Routes to School "5 E's"--evaluation, education, encouragement, enforcement, and engineering--can improve safety:

1. Santa Rosa, CA--pedestrian safety education increased children's crosswalk use 63% over crossing at unmarked locations.


2. Miami-Dade County, FL--WalkSafe™ decreased the number of children ages 0-14 hit by cars 43% .


3. State of Maine--bicycle safety education helped drop bicycle crashes 51% for children aged 10-14.


4. Springfield, MO--special roadway signage reduced 85% of motorists' speeds by a crucial 3-5 mph.


5. Portland, OR--infrastructure improvements like crosswalk refuge islands cut crashes near schools by 25% and pedestrian injuries from those crashes 32%.

Ben W. Murch Elementary School of Washington, D.C. was selected as the 2009 recipient of the James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award, a national award for outstanding achievement in implementing a Safe Routes to School Program.  From the news release:

The National Center for Safe Routes to School selected Murch Elementary School as this year’s recipient based on its exemplary Safe Routes to School program successes, including: reversing school policy that prohibited students from bicycling to school without special permission; building community support for walking and bicycling to school, including neighborhood support for new sidewalk construction; and implementing an effective student Safety Patrol program to enforce safe driving behavior around the school.

“In just one school year, Murch Elementary School’s Safe Routes to School program was able to overcome great infrastructural and ideological challenges,” said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. “Developing community support is an integral part of any Safe Routes to School program and Murch has done an admirable job fostering support within their local community.”

The James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award is named for the congressman to honor his dedication to American schoolchildren as the pioneer for the National Safe Routes to School Program. Chairman Oberstar sponsored the Safe Routes to School legislation that strives to create safe settings to enable more parents and children to walk and bicycle to school.

WA state elementary schools recently were among 25 nationwide winners of Safe Routes to Schools grants. They’ll receive up to $1000 from the National Center for Safe Routes to School. From the news release:

Madison, Roosevelt and Pioneer Elementary Schools of Olympia will develop an anti-idling and anti-speeding campaign for parents. The campaign will use social marketing tools and incorporate a special pledge for drivers in the family to drive the speed limit and to turn off their engines if they are idling more than 30 seconds. Walk n’ Roll partners will help teachers conduct speeding audits using a speed gun and will monitor air quality by measuring particulate matter in emissions (via car exhaust on note cards coated with petroleum jelly) for use in class lessons. Students will create Public Service Announcements to contribute to the anti-idling and anti-speeding campaign.

Orca K-8 of Seattle’s parent-run safety committee and student-led Green Team will plan month-long environmental challenges to encourage students to walk and bicycle to school and to become more appreciative of the environment. The Green Team will create materials to promote each challenge and also educational materials about the physical, community and environmental benefits of bicycling and walking. Each classroom will track the number of students who participate and their participation amounts. Classrooms with the most riders and walkers will celebrate with the Cascade Bicycle Club’s bicycle safety superhero, “Sprocket Hero.” The Green Team also will promote a letter writing campaign where students can describe their experiences with biking and walking. These letters will be sent to the Seattle City Council, and one letter will be chosen to be sent to the Editor at the Seattle Times.

About The National Center for Safe Routes to School
Established in May 2006 through funding from the Federal Highway Administration, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. For more information, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.

WA State’s Safe Routes to School program was initially funded in 2004 (predating the federal government’s program). The purpose was to provide children a safe, healthy alternative to riding the bus or being driven to school. Grant applicants were encouraged to focus on projects in four areas: engineering fixes, education, enforcement, and community health and encouragement initiatives.

WSDOT administers the grant program, and provides “technical assistance and resources to cities, counties, schools, school districts and state agencies for improvements that get more children walking and bicycling to school safely, reduce congestion around schools, and improve air quality.”  A broad-based stakeholder group evaluates and prioritizes grant applications.

The Center for Safe Routes to School in Washington State is another resource for people in Washington, led by the Bicycle Alliance and Feet First.

For the 2009-2011 biennium grant program, nearly $7.5 million was awarded for SRTS projects.  60 projects have been funded during the last three cycles of funding.  36 are in progress and 14 have been completed.   The need is there - 86 organizations submitted 112 Safe Routes to Schools projects totaling approximately $47 million.

Here’s a December 2008 report with more details on the 2009-11 grant program.

The next call for projects will occur in January. 2010.