Safe Routes Academy
The NJ Safe Routes Academy, sponsored by the NJ Department of Transportation, focuses on sessions that allow participants to make their communities more walk- and bike-friendly for all users of all abilities. This year’s Academy will held in-person during the NJ Bike & Walk Summit on Saturday, March 7th, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Princeton – Conference Center.
The Safe Routes Academy is designed for parents, teachers, students, municipal leaders, local volunteers, and anyone else interested in improving conditions for walking and bicycling. Learn about the best practices and resources that you can use to increase safety and accessibility in your community.
Session 1: Start with the School Zone
Do you want to make your community a safer place for walking and bicycling? Start with the School Zone! Traffic-related crashes remain a leading cause of death among children in the United States, making school zone safety an urgent priority. This session explores critical components of school zone safety: best practices for planning, infrastructure improvements, crossing guard training and safety, and partners and resources that can help you along the way to lasting change. Throughout this interactive session, presenters will work with attendees to share lessons learned, practical strategies, and resources for school zone improvements that protect crossing guards, students, and other vulnerable populations. Attendees will leave with recommendations for creating safer, more effective school zones through a combination of physical improvements and human-centered strategies.
Session 2: Rethinking our Roads with Youth Leadership
Young people aren’t just the future of our transportation systems—they’re active pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders today. Their lived experiences offer essential insights for building safe and holistic active transportation networks. This session will explore effective and meaningful strategies for engaging youth as true partners in transportation planning. Panelists will discuss why empowering young people with the skills, tools, and platforms to share their perspectives is critical to shaping communities that work for everyone. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for authentic youth engagement—and hear directly from young people about what genuine involvement looks and feels like. Together, we can strengthen today’s active transportation systems while cultivating the next generation of leaders and advocates.
Who Should Attend
The NJ Safe Routes Academy sessions are for anyone interested in learning about and supporting efforts to make communities across New Jersey more walkable and bikeable. Examples include:
- State, county, and municipal planners, engineers, and public works staff
- Public health professionals
- School teachers and officials
- Policy-makers and elected officials
- Local bike, walk, & Safe Routes to School champions
- Mobility, accessibility, and equity advocates
- Environmental and economic development professionals
- Anyone interested in designing for active transportation systems that protect the safety of all roadway users
The Safe Routes Academy is designed to help enable and encourage safe routes to parks, transit, shops, restaurants, employment, schools, and recreation. The Academy, which is sponsored by the NJ Department of Transportation, features hands-on interactive sessions to help participants make their communities more walk and bike-friendly for all users.
For more information please contact us at srts@ejb.rutgers.edu!
Sessions from previous years include:
2025 NJ Safe Routes Academy
View the 2025 NJ Safe Routes Academy Summary Report
- “Taking it to the Streets – Conducting Walkability Audits“: Let’s hit the streets for an engaging, hands-on training session where you’ll learn how to conduct walk audits! This interactive session will covered the benefits of walkability audits, provide best practice resources, and teach you how to identify and document both challenges and opportunities. The session will conclude with a real-world walk audit, equipping you with practical skills that can be used in your own community to make it a better place to walk and bike to schools, shops, employment centers, parks and transit! Click here to view the slides.
- “Bring Your Questions! How to Engage Your Community to Build Better Streets”: Join us for an engaging session where local elected officials, experienced in both advocacy and governance, will answer your questions and share valuable insights and lessons learned in promoting active transportation and creating a safer environment for walking and bicycling. This interactive session offers participants the chance to ask questions and gain practical strategies for engaging with municipal and school officials, building coalitions, and effectively communicating the benefits of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Through dynamic discussion, attendees will discover how to identify opportunities to mobilize community members and influence decision-makers to prioritize and invest in safer, more walkable, and bikeable communities. Click here to view the slides.
- “School Zone Safety Takes a Team”: Ensuring the safety of students as they travel to and from school requires a collaborative effort from a range of stakeholders. While infrastructure improvements are essential, they take time to implement. This session will highlight quick-turnaround improvements and explore best practices for advocating for school zone safety. Participants will hear directly from students and administrators from Burlington City about how they united to advocate for change following the tragic loss of a classmate. They will share their experiences in leveraging collaborations with local, county, and state representatives to help create a safer environment for students, parents, and crossing guards. Click here to view the slides.
2024 NJ Safe Routes Academy
View the 2024 NJ Safe Routes Academy Summary Report
- “Where the Sidewalk Ends: Exploring Safe Street Design“: In this session participants will delve into the world of safe street design, focusing on proven safety countermeasures, complete streets concepts, and design resources for school zones. Through interactive discussions, attendees will gain an understanding of which infrastructure solutions make streets safer for people walking and bicycling. From improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety to enhancing connectivity, this session will equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to transform their streets into more inclusive spaces that prioritize safety and accessibility for all ages and abilities, especially children. Click here to view the slides.
- “Talk the Walk: Putting Your Vision into a Plan”: In this session, participants will learn how to hone their vision and translate it into a plan of action to improve walking and bicycling environments. The session will provide practical guidance on prioritizing actions and developing a plan that aligns with community goals. Engaging in hands-on exercises and collaborative discussions, participants will explore how to effectively document concerns and prioritize solutions. By the end of the session, participants will better understand how to take meaningful steps towards implementing complete streets and safe routes to school improvements. Click here to view the slides.
- “Build Better Streets: How to Work with your Municipality”: In this session, local advocates will share insights and lessons learned in their efforts to cultivate local support and advocate for active transportation and safe environments for walking and biking. Participants will gain practical strategies for engaging with municipal and school officials, building coalitions, and effectively communicating the benefits of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, attendees will learn how to mobilize community members and influence decision-makers to prioritize and invest in safer, more walkable, and bikeable communities. Click here to view the slides.
- “Fund Your Project: Tips and Strategies for Successful Grant Applications”: In this session, participants will gain insights into the various funding opportunities available to support bicycle and pedestrian improvements in New Jersey. The session will focus on state and federal grants, providing tips and strategies for crafting successful grant applications. Attendees will learn about the finding grant opportunities, application processes, and best practices for developing a compelling proposal. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to access funding, understand the level of effort for different grant applications, and match projects to appropriate grant sources. Click here to view the slides.
2023 NJ Safe Routes Academy
View the 2023 NJ Safe Routes Academy Summary Report
- “Funding Your Bicycle & Pedestrian Project: NJ SRTS Infrastructure Grant Training”: This online session will provide participants with information about applying for Safe Routes to School grants, administered by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) in partnership with the State’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Click here to view the recording.
- “School Zone Safety Strategies”: Learn about ways to reduce the number of motor vehicles in school zones, slow driving speeds, and minimize potential conflicts and crashes in their community. Discover cost-effective and adaptable strategies to create safer school zones and prioritize the wellbeing of pedestrians, cyclists, children, seniors, and people traveling on foot or bike. The session focused on real examples of how these strategies have been designed and successfully employed in school zones throughout New Jersey. Click here to view the recording.
- “Safe Routes, Safe Roads, Safe Systems”: Together, Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, and Zero Deaths Initiatives create a roadmap for safe and sustainable transportation. This session explores the intersection between Safe Routes to School, Zero Deaths Initiatives, and the Safe Systems Approach and how they are increasingly informing safety plans and street designs to improve conditions for walking and bicycling and ensuring safer streets for all. Click here to view the recording.
- “Safe Routes to High Schools”: With the passing of the federal IIJA law, for the first time the needs of high schools and high school students are being explicitly considered in safe Routes to School projects, programs, and infrastructure funding. With this broadened mission in mind, this session will explore issues, opportunities, and best practices for expanding SRTS program to include and meet the needs of high schools and high school students and providing new opportunities to promote healthy and sustainable transportation for all. Click here to view the recording.
2022 NJ Safe Routes to School Academy
View the 2022 Safe Routes Academy Report
- “Cost-Effective Treatments: Testing Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Improvements Through Temporary Demonstration Projects”, a session about temporary demonstration projects, also known as “pop-up projects” or “quick build projects”. Click here to view the session recording.
- “Prioritizing Safety Through Conducting Walkability & Bikeability Assessments”, a session about teaching individuals how to coordinate their own walk or bicycle assessments. Click here to view the session recording.
- “Developing School Travel Plans to Make Walking and Bicycling Safer”, a session focusing on the ins and outs of creating a School Travel Plan, fostering important partnerships between schools and the community. Click here to view the session recording.
2021 NJ Safe Routes to School Academy
View the 2021 Safe Routes Academy & NJ Bike and Walk Summit Report Sessions
- “No Money? No Problem: Meet your Safe Routes Coordinator!” a session highlighting free resources from your regional Transportation Management Association SRTS Coordinators. Click here to view the session recording.
- “A Vision for Safety: The New Jersey Strategic Highway Safety Plan,” a session about the NJDOT plan to achieve zero deaths on all public roads. Click here to view the session recording.
- “Building Municipal Support for Better Streets,” a session of local advocates explaining lessons learned for building local support to adopt and implement Complete and Green Streets policies. Click here to view the session recording.
- “Fund Your Project: Tips and Strategies for Successful Grant Applications,” a session detailing the funding opportunities available to help implement bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout New Jersey. Click here to view the session recording.
2020 NJ Safe Routes to School Academy
- “Complete and Green Streets for All,” a session that highlighted the model Complete Streets policy and guide as a resource for advancing meaningful Complete Streets policies that incorporate best practice in green infrastructure, local economy, health, equity and fairness in transportation expenditures.
- “Safe Routes Everywhere,” a session where local advocates from three New Jersey communities shared lessons learned and methods and tactics that worked best.
- “Tips and Strategies for writing successful grants,” a session focused on funding opportunities available to help implement bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout New Jersey.
- “Teaching Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Skills” a session on how-to provide safety education for walking and bicycling, highlighting best practices and resources, age-appropriate lesson plans, and tips and strategies for effective bicycle and pedestrian education.
2019 NJ Safe Routes to School Academy
- “Revving up NJ’s Complete & Green Streets Movement with a New Model Policy and Guide,” a session on a new Model Complete and Green Streets Policy and Guide for New Jersey municipalities and counties.
- “Planning for a More Bicycle and Pedestrian Friendly Community,” a session on conducting walkability assessment and using best practice resources to find infrastructure solutions that can help generate ideas and actions to make walking and bicycling safer and more desirable modes of transportation.
- “Tips and Strategies for Funding Walkable and Bikable Communities,” a session focused on detailing the funding opportunities available to help implement bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout New Jersey.
2018 NJ Safe Routes to School Academy
- “Taking it to the Streets: Conducting Walkability Audits,” a session on conducting walk audits and using them in plans.
- “Talk the Walk: Getting Your Community Interested in Walking and Bicycling,” a session on what messages matter to community members and how you can get others involved.
- “Funding Opportunities: Big and Small,” a session focused on detailing the funding opportunities available to help implement bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout New Jersey.
2017 NJ Safe Routes to School Academy
- “Conducting Walkability Audits,” an extended session regarding conducting Walkability Audits and showing participants how to use walk audits to develop a plan for a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.
- “Utilizing Common Goals to Strengthen Walking and Bicycling Programs,” a session on Utilizing Common Goals to Strengthen Walking and Bicycling Programs with Sustainable Jersey and Greater Mercer TMA.
- “Funding Opportunities: Big and Small,” a session on funding Opportunities presented by NJDOT, Sustainable Jersey, and New Jersey Prevention Network.