Safe Routes to School

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Announcements

Funding available for FY11 Safe Routes to School projects

Communities seeking Safe Routes to School funding may submit an FY11 Letter of Intent to Apply for funds to ITD by October 20, 2008. $1 million is available for Idaho projects that make it possible for more K-8 students to walk or bicycle safely to school. The FY11 Letter of Intent to Apply is available to download under "How to Apply" tab.

SR2S projects can be based on the "5 E's" of the Safe Routes to School program: Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Evaluation and Engineering. Infrastructure improvements (i.e., sidewalks; crosswalk paint and sign upgrades; bicycle racks, etc.) will be funded up to $100,000. Non-infrastructure projects (i.e., coordinator positions; walk-to-school events; public awareness materials, etc.) will be funded up to $25,000.

The SR2S program offers training before submitting an application to everyone submitting an LOI. The training will be held at the Cambria Suites, 2970 W. Elder St. Boise on October 30, 2008. The applications are reviewed and scored by a statewide SR2S Advisory Committee. Please contact the SR2S coordinator for questions about the application: e-mail JOConnor@itd.idaho.gov or call 334-4475.

FHWA Releases New Walkable Communities Guide

According to a June 25th news release, "The Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety has released a new guide, 'A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities,' to help residents, parents, community groups, and others make their communities better environments for walking.

"The Guide offers a user-friendly resource that includes information, ideas, and references to help residents learn about issues that affect walking conditions; find ways to address or prevent these problems; and promote pedestrian safety. It provides several community success stories that highlight successful community-oriented pedestrian safety projects and programs. The Guide also contains several Resource Sheets, including fact sheets, worksheets, and sample materials.

"These materials can be adapted to meet the needs of a particular community, or distributed to others working to improve pedestrian safety. The Guide provides a thorough introduction to pedestrian safety and includes many references to other resources and materials for those interested in more in-depth information."

Visit walkinginfo.org for more information or order a hard copy from FHWA.

Idaho Safe Routes to School Program

The Idaho SR2S FY09 program guidelines and application is currently being revised. It will be available to download on May 30, 2008. The program guidelines will provide a brief overview of the program's goals, requirements, the process of applying, and tips for completing the application. The application is designed to allow applicants to show evidence that they are planning to use a combination of education, encouragement, evaluation and engineering strategies to increase the safety and number of children walking and bicycling to school on a regular basis. Please scroll to the end of the page to learn more about the goals of the National SR2S program.

Walk to School Week, New Plymouth Idaho 9/10-9/14 2007.

Consider:

In 1969, 42 percent of students walked or rode bicycles to school
In 2001, only 16 percent of the students between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or bicycled to or from school
Among children 9-13 years of age, 61.6 percent do not engage in organized physical activity during non-school hours; 22.6 percent do not participate in any free-time physical activities
Experts recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.
Potential benefits of physical activity for youth include:
- Weight and blood pressure control
- Bone, muscle and joint health and maintenance
- Reductions in the risk of diabetes
- Improved psychological welfare
- Better academic performance
As much as 25 percent of the morning rush hour traffic can be related to school
- It takes about 5-10 minutes for children to walk a quarter of a mile or bicycle an entire mile.
School districts across the country are experiencing the strain on school transportation budgets as a result of increased fuel prices.

The program guidelines and application can be viewed under the How to Apply tab. Applications will be scored using the following criteria:

Demonstrated needs
Identification of safety hazards
Potential of proposal to reduce child injuries and fatalities
Potential of proposal to create a safer walking and bicycling built environment within approximately two miles of a school
Potential of proposal to encourage walking and bicycling among students
Identification of current and potential safe walking and bicycling routes to schools
Number of child pedestrians or bicyclists currently using routes
Number of child pedestrians or bicyclists anticipated to improved routes
Community support for application

In addition, all successful applicants are required to develop a School Travel Plan. A School Travel Plan is a long-term commitment that outlines how students, parents, schools and the community will:

reduce car trips to and from school
increase walking and bicycling to school
reduce congestion and pollution
improve safety and health
measure progress in future years

The final travel plan is due to ITD one year after the last reimbursement is issued.

First Lady Lori Otter at Trail Wind Elementary, Boise,ID

Message from Idaho´s SR2S spokesperson, First Lady Lori Otter

The National Safe Routes to School Program provides funds to the states to substantially improve the ability of primary and middle school students to walk and bicycle to school safely. The purposes of the program are:

To enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school
To make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age
To facilitate the planning, development and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity (approximately 2 miles) of primary and middle schools (Grades K-8)

Moscow, ID

Idaho will receive approximately $1 million per year for the SR2S program in fiscal years 2006 - 2009. ITD will administer this new funding source to advance SR2S activities throughout the state. The SR2S program is a reimbursement program. The sponsor pays the cost of the project and submits reimbursement request to the SR2S program. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, schools, school districts, cities, counties, non-profits, highway districts etc.

Each state administers its own program and develops its own procedures to solicit and select projects for funding. The program establishes two distinct types of funding opportunities: 70% - 90% of the funding must be dedicated to infrastructure projects (the planning, design and construction of engineering improvements) and 10% - 30% of the funding must be dedicated to non-infrastructure related activities (such as education, enforcement, and encouragement programs).

A Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee (SR2SAC) will oversee the development of Idaho 's SR2S program. The SR2SAC is comprised of representatives from the transportation, health, education, public safety, Local Highway Assistance Council and Safe Kids Coalition. Other participating organizations include planning associations, school districts, parent-teacher associations, business leaders and pedestrian advocates. Idaho communities are encouraged to start SR2S program to make walking and bicycling to school safer for children and to increase the number of children who choose to walk and bicycle. On a broader level, SR2S programs can enhance children's health and well-being; ease traffic congestion near schools; improve air quality and improve community members overall quality of life.

How walkable is your community?

Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Why is walking important?

Main and Maple Crossing, Hailey, ID.

How to build a SR2S Program in your community

The steps below provide a framework for a SR2S program based on what has worked in other communities. These steps are meant to provide guidance. Getting things done may require different approaches or using these steps in a different order. For more information on steps to get your Safe Routes to School Program started, please visit the SR2S Online Guide .

Bring together the right people: Identify people who want to make walking and bicycling to school safe and appealing for children. Sharing concerns, interests and knowledge among a variety of community members with diverse expertise can enable groups to tackle many issues.
Hold a kick off meeting and set a vision: A goal of the first meeting is to create a vision and generate next steps for the group members.
Gather information and identify issues: Collecting information can help to identify needed program elements and provide a means to measure the impact of the program later.
Identify solutions: Solutions to identified issues will include a combination of education, encouragement, engineering and enforcement strategies. Safety is the first consideration.
Make a plan: It doesn't need to be lengthy. Include encouragement, enforcement, education and engineering strategies. Create a time schedule for the plan.
Get the plan and people moving: Hold a kick off event starting with a fun activity. Participate in International Walk to School Day or celebrate a Walking Wednesday.
Evaluate, adjust and keep moving: To sustain the program, consider building additional program champions and letting people know about your successes.

More detail on eligible projects, as well as program set-up is provided in FHWA's SR2S Program Guidance Document.

Contact:

Jo O'Connor
Safe Routes to School Coordinator
Idaho Transportation Department
Phone: (208) 334-4475
E-mail: JOConnor@itd.idaho.gov

Bike Train, Hailey, ID.

Page Last Modified: 10/8/2008 10:49:04 AM