Making Strides: What does the new report card say about Missouri's efforts on Safe Routes to School?

Overview

• The Making Strides: 2026 State Report Cards show how each state is supporting walking, biking, and Safe Routes to School through policy, funding, and practice.
• On most metrics in the report, Missouri continues to score poorly.
• Despite the results, there are steps the Show-Me State can take to turn things around.

Every two years, the national Safe Routes Partnership releases their Making Strides report. The publication is meant to serve as a snapshot of how states across the country are working to support the needs of children as they walk, bike, or roll to school. The work is especially important because the share of kids who walk or bike to school has fallen dramatically over the course of several decades.

Missourians for Responsible Transportation took a look at the report to learn more about how the Show-Me State measures up. Read on below to learn more.

How does the report card grade each state?

The Safe Routes Partnership grades each state on four key metrics:

1. Complete Streets & Active Transportation Policy & Planning - This considers whether states have adopted policies, plans, and measurable goals that support safe and convenient walking, biking, and rolling.
2. Federal & State Active Transportation Funding - This looks at state funding, staffing, planning, technical assistance, and other support for Safe Routes to School programs.
3. Safe Routes to School Funding & Supportive Practices - This examines how states administer federal active transportation funding and whether they dedicate state resources to walking, biking, and Safe Routes to School.
4. Active Schools & Neighborhoods - This explores state policies related to shared use of school facilities, school siting, and access to places where children and communities can be active.

Taken together, these elements help the Safe Routes Partnership as well as advocates, agency staff, and elected officials to better understand how their state is supporting children as they walk, roll, and bike to school.

Where is Missouri struggling on Safe Routes to School?

In short: just about everywhere. Missouri received 42 out of 200 points in this report card, placing it in the worst category for states when it comes to creating Safe Routes to School. Only South Dakota received fewer points overall.

You can view the full report card for Missouri by clicking here.

Based on the metrics listed above, this is how the overall score for Missouri breaks down:

What can be done to turn things around?

While these results are neither surprising or encouraging, they are not permanent. Missouri leaders can take steps to change course and improve the state’s grades. Looking at the report, Missourians for Responsible Transportation recommends the following:

• Develop and adopt a statewide active transportation plan - MRT has said this before and we will continue to say that Missouri needs this plan. Adopting a plan on its own would help Missouri earn ten additional points and immediately move us out of the lowest category of states when it comes to creating Safe Routes to School.
• Establish dedicated state-level funding for active transportation - There is currently no dedicated funding from the state for walking or biking priorities. Allocating funds specifically for those modes would also earn the state additional points (up to 10) that could also help us to move out of the worst category.
• Incorporate SRTS principles into school transportation discussions - An ongoing challenge for many school districts across the state (especially rural school districts) is a shortage of bus drivers. Thus far, the policy solutions proposed have only focused on bus transportation, while ignoring the other modes children could be using to get to and from school. Specifically incorporating SRTS principles (like prioritizing active transportation projects on key corridors that include schools or future school siting that is closer to population centers) can create an environment where schools have more ways to support their students and the broader community.

The Making Strides report isn’t the first publication to make clear that Missouri is falling behind its peers in supporting active transportation. In explaining why this is currently the case, however, it makes clear that the Show-Me State can chart a better course. Making these investments in creating Safe Routes to School isn’t just something to help the state earn points and rankings. It’s about prioritizing arguably the most important element of our state: our future.