Join experts from the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI) as they share insights on Florida’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Master Plan—an initiative dedicated to ensuring that every child has a safer, healthier journey to and from school, whether they walk, bike, or ride.

UFTI researchers Dr. Siva Srinivasan, and Dr. Ruth Steiner, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), are leading the development of a comprehensive, data-driven master plan to strengthen and expand the state’s SRTS program. Their work supports FDOT’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan and emphasizes safety by focusing on underserved rural communities that may lack the resources to pursue infrastructure and safety improvements on their own.

During this session, presenters will discuss:

• The creation of a statewide framework to prioritize school safety improvements using the 5 Es: Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, and Evaluation.
• How UF’s research is influencing real-world solutions through partnerships with Community Traffic Safety Teams (CTST), IFAS, and local leaders.
• The development of a new, virtual SRTS training platform designed to reach and equip more communities across Florida with tools, resources, and guidance for successful implementation.
• Upcoming changes to the SRTS program and how the master plan will shape the future of school transportation safety in Florida.

This webinar is a must-attend for transportation planners, public health professionals, educators, community leaders, and anyone committed to improving safety and accessibility for school-age children.

Presenters:

Ruth Steiner, Ph.D., Professor, UF Department of Urban and Regional Planning: Ruth L. Steiner, Ph.D. is a professor and director of the Center for Health and the Built Environment in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and an affiliate faculty in the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) and the Transportation Institute (UFTI) at the University of Florida. Her research focuses on the coordination of transportation and land use, with a particular focus on planning for all modes of transportation and its impact on communities, the environment, and public health. Her current research is on the impact of school siting, school transportation and land development patterns on children’s travel, transportation and aging, the changing pattern of travel among millennials, impacts of new transportation technologies on transportation systems, equity in planning, and the incorporation of risk into long-range transportation planning. She is co-author of Energy Efficiency and Human Activity: Global Trends and Prospects (Cambridge University Press, 1992) and author of over one hundred book chapters, journal articles, reviews and research reports. She has served on the Pedestrian Committee, Transportation and Land Development Committee and Transportation History Committee of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Scientific Committee of the World Congress on Transportation Research Society (WCTRS).

Shraddha Sagar, Assistant Engineer, UF Transportation Institute (T2 Center) Graduate Faculty, Civil and Coastal Engineering: Dr. Shraddha Sagar is an Assistant Engineer at the UF Transportation Institute’s T2 Center and Graduate Faculty in Civil and Coastal Engineering. Her expertise is in transportation safety and data analytics, with a focus on developing data-driven safety solutions that improve outcomes for all road users, including vulnerable populations such as pedestrians and bicyclists. She leads multiple research projects funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Before joining UF, Dr. Sagar worked as a consultant for nearly three years, gaining practical experience in transportation safety, planning, and operation.

In Part 2 of our Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Master Plan webinar series, we turn the spotlight to Florida’s local agencies that have experience in planning and implementing safer routes for students in their communities.

This session will feature representatives from local agencies across Florida as they share their experiences, strategies, and successes in developing School Travel Plan (SRTS Master Plan). These local agencies are vital partners in translating the state’s vision into reality, demonstrating a strong, on-the-ground commitment to making walking and biking to school safer, more accessible, and more sustainable for all students.

Attendees will learn:

• How local agencies are aligning with Florida’s statewide SRTS Master Plan framework.
• Real-world examples of master plan development, community engagement, and infrastructure improvements.
• Innovative approaches to collaboration between schools, public works, transportation departments, and advocacy groups.

By showcasing these community-driven efforts, this webinar underscores the essential role of local leadership in shaping the future of student transportation safety. Whether you’re part of a local planning team, a school administrator, or a community advocate, you’ll gain valuable insights and inspiration from peers actively working to create safer routes to school.

Featured local agency representative presenters:

Kevin Walford, Planner III, Miami-Dade TPO: Kevin C. Walford serves as a Transportation Planner 3 for the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).  He has over 29 years of experience in the Planning field, the last 19 of which have been in transportation. He is involved in the development of short and long terms planning studies/projects in the following areas: performance management, intermodalism, freight, land use, traffic and transit, and bicycle/pedestrian issues. He is a member of the American Planning Association (APA) and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). Mr. Walford holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Miami and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Florida Atlantic University.

Kathrin Tellez, AICP, PTP, RSP2B: Principal, Fehr & Peers: Kathrin Tellez, AICP, PTP, RSP2B, is a Principal Transportation Planner in Fehr & Peers’ Orlando office with over 25 years of experience in a wide range of multimodal transportation planning efforts, including safety assessments, transportation impact analyses, integrated transportation/land use planning, site plan review, corridor studies, parking studies, active transportation plans, and Safe Routes to School plans. She has led or contributed to over 50 school related plans in Florida, Texas, and California, helping to improve school access and safety to a variety of school types, including public and private for all grade levels.

Scott Wright, Planner IV, Transportation Department, City of Gainesville: Scott Wright is a University of Florida graduate with an undergrad in Geography and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning. Since 2002, he has been employed in a variety of public sector planning roles, and also worked briefly in the private sector. For the last 8 years, he has worked in the newly formed Transportation Department at the City of Gainesville. This department consolidates the City’s transportation efforts related to auto, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, parking, and micromobility. A current focus of the department is the reduction of serious injuries and fatalities for all roadway users. One of Scott’s favorite things to do is experience Gainesville and surrounding areas on foot and by bicycle.