Washington, D.C. — Safe Routes to School program advocates were among hundreds of organizations from around the country who gathered in the nation's capital to present a poster to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood thanking him for his leadership in making bicycling and walking safer and more accessible.

LaHood accepted the thank you letter at from bicyclists representing America Bikes, Safe Routes to School National Partnership and Transportation for America and more than 200 national, state, regional and local organizations from every state in the nation.Washington Area Bicyclists Association, a signatory on the letter, joined the group to present a thank you poster from local bicyclists, many of whom attended the event.

“Forty years ago, nearly half of children walked and bicycled to school. Today, less than 15 percent of children do so—because parents are concerned about traffic speed and volume, distance to school, and lack of safe sidewalks and bike lanes,” said Deb Hubsmith, director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. “Secretary LaHood’s leadership is critical to ensuring that state and local governments focus on improving the safety and accessibility of walking and bicycling, so that more children and their families can make the healthy and active choice for their trip to school.”

Increased bike and walk routes to promote more physical fitness, to create more livable communities and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been one LaHood's priorities since being confirmed to his cabinet post last year.