Safe Routes to School Becomes Law
On August 8th, Gov. Blagojevich signed House Bill 744, which designates IDOT to establish a Safe Routes to School Construction Program to develop pedestrian safety and traffic calming projects near schools. Funding for the program comes from the new national transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU, which designates $612 million for Safe Routes to School projects in the states, with about $20 million for Illinois. Parents and educators now have a powerful new tool to confront childhood obesity, promote pedestrian safety and fight traffic hazards.
A task force has been formed for the delivery of the program. For more information, contact Ben Helphand at ben@cnt.org or 773-269-4056.