September 5:  As students head back to school, Optotraffic suggests that local officials may want to get know The National Center for Safe Routes to School, which serves as the clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program.  It also assists communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. Established in May 2006, the National Center strives to equip Safe Routes to School programs with the knowledge and technical information to implement safe and successful strategies. The National Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. For more information, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.