Safe Routes to School For All
Remember feeling the warmth of a spring day, dragging out your bike and riding to school? Or walking past the neighbors’ houses gathering your classmates along the way? Sadly, today most schoolchildren only experience trips to school by car or bus. No chance to breathe some fresh air before a long day of math and science. Or, to get the much-needed exercise that schools are increasingly struggling to provide.
Only 16 percent of schoolchildren walked or rode their bicycles to school in 2001, compared to 42 percent in 1969. While there are many reasons for this, a program called Safe Routes to School is addressing some of the most pressing.
Ben Helphand, CNT’s Pedestrian Program Manager, has been all over the state the past month giving training sessions to municipal and school officials interested in developing walking and biking-friendly communities that provide a safe route to school for children. The program in Illinois will provide access to $23 million, which can be used for projects such as sidewalk infrastructure and educational programs.
CNT, along with the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and the League of Illinois Bicyclists presented its “Safe Routes to School” report to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in January. The groups are under contract through 2009 to provide training, outreach and program development services for IDOT. The team will also assist in developing the state’s School Travel Plan template and application.
Access to safe walking and biking conditions can help curb obesity, help children develop traffic schools and reduce air pollution. And perhaps most importantly, allow children the basic freedom and enjoyment of walking and biking.
