Illinois Safe Routes to School


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This page shows some of the latest Safe Routes to School News in Illinois. If you would like to share a story that is not yet posted on this site, please send us the information at <SafeRoutes@nt.dot.state.il.us>.

News Page Index

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute Reports on Helmets for 2009

Forest Preserve District to build path near Glendale Heights school

Havana school wants students to walk: Junior high applies for grant to make roads around school safer

National Partnership and CDC report: SRTS Improves the Built Environment - feat. Urbana, IL

National Partnership and CDC report: Safe Routes to School: Leads to Greater Collaboration with Public Health and School Officials

National Partnership and CDC report:SRTS: Steps to a Greener Future

School building panel OKs $1.6 million parking lot project (Quincy) SRTS 2nd Item

Clarendon Hills backs Safe Routes to School

Applications endorsed by City Council for 'Safe Routes' grants (Quincy)

Council to consider 'Safe Routes to School' grants for sidewalks, lane reduction (Quincy)

King Elementary cyclists get a rules roundup at bicycle rodeo (Urbana)

Congestion near St. Dominics and Madison Schools (Quincy)

Board finalizes grant for safer school routes (Somonauk)

New National Trust for Historic Preservation Program to Encourage Community-Centered Schools (State of Illinois)

EVENT:Brookport Safe Route To School Program Meeting Today (Metropolis & Brookport)

Walk to School Day turning Urbana into gaited community

Pontiac to seek 'Safe Routes to School' grant

Project to repair sidewalks around Pontiac schools OK'd

Harlem district students to learn school safe routes

Morton aims for safe school route grant

C-U working to make roads safer for children

EVENT: Safe Routes To School Program To Be Launched In Metropolis And Brookport

Closing of parks, historic sites rob us of priceless assets/Walking for a cause

Conference will focus on biking, walking to school

Task Force releases recommendations for advancing Safe Routes to School

AASA Survey Finds Rising Fuel, Energy Costs Stressing School Budgets

Director's Column: Safe Routes to School: A Great Way to Get Youth with and without Disabilities More Active

Safe Routes to Urbana Schools

Police pose as pedestrians to nab errant drivers (Chicago, IL)

Alton High gets new assistant principal (Approves SRTS Plans)

Connect with other programs at the Safe Routes Forums

Take a hike: Machesney Park, Harlem earn grant to motivate kids to walk or bike

Crossing guards merit appreciation

Safe Routes to School National Partnership Announces New State Network Project

Towns trying to provide safe routes to schools (Champaign)

Board looks to make school routes safer

West Frankfort Safe Routes to Schools travel plan accepted

Walking school bus in Quincy

Plan aims to get more Quincy students walking to school

Walking home from school concerns (Quincy)

Program promotes safer; healthier kids (SRTS Program Announcement)

IDOT announces new program that encourages safe environment for kids that walk or bike to school: $23 million available to fund Safe Routes to School

Safe routes to schools (Quincy)

Marion continues sidewalk refurbishing

Student safety, activity targeted (AlWood - Alpha/Woodhull)

Let kids outdoors: Crime is down, but parents shelter their children as if there's a child predator on every corner.


The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute Reports on Helmets for 2009 Monday, December 29, 2008 We have posted our review of helmets being sold in 2009. It covers trends, new developments and individual models. http://www.helmets.org/helmet09.htm In brief, there is no radical safety improvement this year that would compel you to replace your current helmet. Almost all of the helmets we describe meet standards and offer good if not excellent protection. There are new helmets in 2009 that are worth a look if you need a new one. There are more new models appearing with the rounder, smoother profile that we think is best when you crash. The legally required CPSC standard ensures good protection in the US market. Without comparative test data we usually do not know if a model exceeds the requirements of the standard and offers superior protection. We hope for a new article from Consumer Reports during 2009 with some test data on the current crop of helmets. The rounder, smoother "compact," "city," "urban" or "commuter" models that we recommend are still growing in number, and most manufacturers have at least one in their lineup now. The higher priced helmets have big vents, but no verifiable advantage in impact performance. There are no new radical impact materials in bicycle helmets this year. Strap adjustment fittings--buckles and side pieces--badly need improvement. Most of them slip too easily. Ring fit systems, the "one size fits all" solution, have taken over for most of the less expensive and mid-range models. We still recommend looking for a helmet that: 1. Meets the CPSC bicycle helmet standard. 2. Fits you well. 3. Has a rounded, smooth exterior with no major snag points. 4. Has no more vents than you need. More vents = less foam. We have a long list of rounder, smoother helmets for 2009, and sections on Value Helmets, Extra Large Helmets, Extra Small Helmets, Helmets for Rounder Heads, Helmets for Narrow Heads, "Women-Specific" Designs, Made in USA Helmets, Models available outside the US, Cooling performance, Prices and a very long section describing almost all of the helmets you will see on the 2009 market. Top of Page

Forest Preserve District to build path near Glendale Heights school Wednesday, December 17, 2008 By Dan Petrella, dpetrella@mysuburbanlife.com Glendale Heights, IL - In about two years, students at Marquardt Middle School in Glendale Heights may have a new way to walk and bike to school. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has received a $400,000 grant from the federal Safe Routes to School program. The grant will pay for the design and construction of a path on the western edge of East Branch Forest Preserve along Glen Ellyn Road. The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the initial engineering of the 1,500-foot trail. “The school uses East Branch Forest Preserve quite a lot for a number of different activities,” said Mary Ellen Weller, the Forest Preserve District’s landscape architecture manager. “(The path) gives kids another safe option to bike or walk to school.” The location for the path was chosen through discussions between the Forest Preserve District, the village of Glendale Heights, the Police Department and Marquardt School District 15, Weller said. The final design of the route is not expected to be complete until November, and construction will not begin until 2010. The path is part of an long-term plan that will eventually include additional paths to the north and south, she said. “We have a conceptual plan, but no set route or funding source,” Weller said. Rick Finck, District 15’s business manager, said the path will provide students who live to the east with an easier way to walk or bike to school without any cost for the School District. “The purpose of this is to not only provide a safe way to get to school, but also it provides exercise for students on the way to school,” Finck said. Safe Routes to School is a program through the U.S. Department of Transportation designed to encourage more students to walk or bike to school. About half of all students walked or bicycled to school 40 years ago, according to the department. Today fewer than 15 percent of all school trips are made by walking or bicycling. The Illinois Department of Transportation administers the program in this state. The Forest Preserve District has hired the Chicago-based URS Corp. to handle the initial design and engineering of the trail. Top of Page

Havana school wants students to walk: Junior high applies for grant to make roads around school safer Wednesday, December 17, 2008 By Amanda Jacobs HAVANA — Part of the application for a Safe Routes to Schools grant asks schools to encourage students to walk or bike to school on a specific day and discuss the results. When preparing the application for Havana Junior High School, District 126 Superintendent Patrick Mark Twomey was unwilling to sponsor such a day because he was concerned about students' safety. "I was not going to have a day where I encouraged kids to walk when I knew they had to walk on the street," he said. "We want to encourage kids to walk to school and ride their bikes to school ... but we can't do that until post-grant." Twomey said the plan for the grant includes the creation of a sidewalk along the north side of U.S. Highway 136, starting at Promenade Street and running past the junior high at 801 E. Laurel St. No sidewalk currently exists on the highway, he said, "so kids that live on that north side, they have no place to ride their bike or walk to school except on the street." The grant proposal also includes a 10-foot-wide sidewalk next to the parking lot, Twomey said, as well as a circular drive in front of the school to ease traffic during pick-up and drop-off times. "If you've ever tried to drive into our junior high at the close of a school day, you would see first-hand the congestion that takes place there," he said. Havana Economic Development Coordinator Terry Svob said the project would promote not only safety but also healthy lifestyles among junior high students. The Safe Routes to Schools grant is $250,000, Twomey said, while the total estimated cost of the project is $258,000. Svob said there has been no official decision as to who would cover the $8,000 difference. Although he said he could not speak for the City Council, Svob said he thought the city would be "more than willing" to absorb the extra cost if the school district receives the grant. The council proposed the installation of a shorter sidewalk along the highway about a year ago, he said, and the estimated cost of that project was $85,000. "It'll be a win-win," Svob said. Twomey said the school could find out if it has been selected any time between late January and April. Top of Page

National Partnership and CDC report: SRTS Improves the Built Environment - feat. Urbana, IL Tuesday, December 16, 2008 Safe Routes to School: Improves the Built Environment. Since the 1950’s the United States has been planning and developing its communities and transportation infrastructure around suburban living and the speed and convenience of the automobile. This has resulted in sprawl, congestion, and a built environment that is largely inconvenient, inaccessible and unsafe for active transportation such as walking and bicycling. The report focuses on case studies describing how ten states (California, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia) are awarding their SRTS federal funds to support improved infrastructure such as sidewalks, bike lanes, pathways, improved intersections, traffic calming, and more. It also profiles several communities, and how SRTS has led to improved infrastructure as well as leveraging additional investment to create policy changes supporting walking and bicycling. Click here to view the full report. {2033} Top of Page

National Partnership and CDC report: Safe Routes to School: Leads to Greater Collaboration with Public Health and School Officials Tuesday, December 16, 2008 The report Safe Routes to School: Leads to Greater Collaboration with Public Health and School Officials, demonstrates how Safe Routes to School is a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, including state Departments of Education and state Departments of Health. Additionally, the report addresses how school siting decisions at the state and local levels affect opportunities to walk and bicycle to schools, which in turn affects opportunities for physical activity. Four case studies showcase examples of collaboration between public health and school officials at the state level through Safe Routes to School Advisory Committees, school siting guidelines, state standards for physical activity, wellness policies and more. California, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Oklahoma are featured. Click here to view the report in full, and to learn about state-level collaboration among officials that is resulting in important policy changes. {2033} Top of Page

National Partnership and CDC report:SRTS: Steps to a Greener Future Tuesday, December 16, 2008 Safe Routes to School: Steps to a Greener Future, indicates how Safe Routes to School is reducing carbon emissions and air pollutants – it is the first report of its kind to make the link between climate change solutions and SRTS. The transportation sector in the United States accounts for more carbon dioxide emissions than any other nation’s entire economy, except for China. These emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants are having a negative impact on our children, our communities and our planet. The report profiles five communities that have made strides in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and harmful pollutants around schools through the implementation of Safe Routes to School programs. The five case studies documented in this report demonstrate initial promising successes, and show how one school’s effort often spreads to additional nearby schools, furthering the environmental impact. Columbia, MO; Las Cruces, NM; Longmont, CO; Marin County, CA; and Windsor, VT are featured. The report also calculates the amount of pollution that could be reduced if SRTS is successful in returning to 1969 levels for walking and bicycling to schools. Click here to view the report. {2034} Top of Page

School building panel OKs $1.6 million parking lot project (Quincy) SRTS 2nd Item Friday, December 12, 2008 By HOLLY WAGNER Herald-Whig Staff Writer The Quincy School Board's Building Committee voted Friday to recommend a $1.6 million plan for resurfacing the parking lot at Quincy High School that would increase the number of parking spaces from 383 to 537. The committee will also recommend that the board approve seeking grant funds to create a weight room for Quincy Junior High students. The parking lot plan includes a cut-through lane in the lower lot for Baldwin Intermediate School buses as well as a small lot south of the gym and east of the current lot. The project falls under life-safety work, with the exception of the small lot that is estimated to cost $135,000. The project answers several needs for the district. The first is to improve safety. The city will apply Monday for a Safe Routes to Schools grant for $250,000 that would matched by the city. The funds would be used to align the lot entrance with 33rd Street, create a turn lane, eliminate parking on Maine and install sidewalks along the north side of Maine. Enlarging the lot is "a key element" of that plan, City Planner Chuck Bevelheimer said. He hopes to hear whether the grant is successful by June or July, which would push the project into summer 2010. The second is to keep students from parking in area lots and neighborhoods. However, even the expanded lot will not be large enough to accommodate demand. Results of a recent survey of QHS students indicated demand at 581, which doesn't include the 116 students who park at Flinn Stadium. The district had thought it could eliminate Flinn parking and the $40,000 annual expense of a shuttle. Board member Carol Nichols suggested that owners of large lots in the area, like ShopKo, the movie theater and the bank, might be interested in renting spaces to students. Spaces at the high school rent annually for $40 and for $30 at Flinn. Assistant Junior High Principal Jody Steinke and PE teacher Theresa Mapes asked for board permission to pursue a Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation grant toward a new weight room. It would be similar to one at the high school which has been installed in a free-standing Morton building, Mapes said. The grant award could range between $5,000 and $25,000. Steinke said he would create a plan to accommodate either end of the range, and will apply for additional grants as well. A new weight room would relieve unsafe overcrowding in QJHS's current facility, Mapes said. -- hwagner@whig.com/221-3374 Top of Page

Clarendon Hills backs Safe Routes to School Monday, December 22, 2008 By ROB SIEBERT The Clarendon Hills Village Board approved a resolution Monday endorsing a Safe Routes to School grant for the Clarendon Hills and Hinsdale police departments. The more than $100,000 grant will come from the Illinois Department of Transportation, and would allow Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills to improve walking routes to schools. Improvements would be made to sidewalks, lighting, traffic lights and speed enforcement. The grant application required a resolution from the village, formally stating its commitment to the cause. Top of Page

Applications endorsed by City Council for 'Safe Routes' grants (Quincy) Monday, November 24, 2008 By EDWARD HUSAR Herald-Whig Staff Writer The Quincy City Council on Monday endorsed two grant applications for the "Safe Routes to School" program and agreed to commit $256,000 in city funds for the project. If the applications are approved through a competitive screening process, one grant for $250,000 would be used to install sidewalks on Maine Street between 30th and 36th, reduce the street from four lanes to three and reconfigure the intersection of 33th and Maine. Meanwhile, a second grant for $206,138 would be used to install sidewalks, curbs, a parking lane and other improvements along the south side of Columbus Road at St. Dominic School. The city's commitment of $256,000 would go toward the Maine Street project, which calls for extending 33rd Street south so it would lead directly into the QHS parking lot, which is to be reconfigured and expanded by the Quincy School District. Alderman Mike Rein questioned the proposal to reduce the number of lanes from four to three between 30th and 36th. The street would have one lane on each side of a center turning lane, and parking would no longer be allowed along that stretch. "I just think the center turn lane is going to cause so much more congestion on that street -- unnecessarily so," Rein said. "I drive up and down that street all the time, and seldom do I see people turning left." Police Chief Rob Copley spoke in support of the plan to eliminate parking on Maine between 30th and 36th, because he said it creates unsafe conditions. "It's dangerous, especially at night," he said. "This is a huge safety issue we're going to solve." Alderman Mike Farha, R-4, said he wanted to make sure the Quincy School District followed through with plans to create more spaces to make up for those lost on Maine. "To our knowledge, that's what they're going to do," said Chuck Bevelheimer, Quincy's director of planning and development. --ehusar@whig.com/221-3378 Top of Page

Council to consider 'Safe Routes to School' grants for sidewalks, lane reduction (Quincy) Monday, November 24, 2008 By EDWARD HUSAR Herald-Whig Staff Writer The Quincy City Council tonight will be asked to support two grant applications totaling $456,138 for the "Safe Routes to School" program. One grant for $250,000 would be used to install sidewalks on Maine Street between 30th and 36th, reduce the street from four lanes to three and reconfigure the intersection of 33th and Maine. The primary purpose of this is to improve safety for students walking to and from Baldwin Intermediate School at 30th and Maine. The other grant for $206,138 would be used to install sidewalks, curbs, a parking lane and other improvements along the south side of Columbus Road at St. Dominic School. Both projects are intended to improve pedestrian safety for students who walk or bike to elementary schools. However, the Maine Street project would have the added benefit of improving safety for Quincy High School students, mainly because of the enhancements to the 33rd and Maine intersection near the entrance to the QHS parking lot. Plans call for adding a south leg to that intersection so 33rd Street will lead directly into the QHS parking lot at a safer signalized crossing. This would allow two parking lot entrances on each side of the intersection to be closed as a safety improvement. "We view those driveways as being a traffic hazard," said Chuck Bevelheimer, Quincy's director of planning and development. The Quincy School District is working with the city in a cooperative venture to reconfigure the QHS parking lot so the main entrance will be better aligned with 33rd Street. At the same time, the district on its own is planning to add some more spaces and resurface the lot. Details of the parking lot changes are still being worked out, but the school district would finance those improvements. The City Council tonight will be asked to commit $256,000 of the city's motor fuel tax funds for the Maine Street project, which is expected to total $506,000, with the grant paying the balance, assuming it's approved. The city's share of the cost would be used primarily for right-of-way changes to Maine between 30th and 36th. Plans call for reducing the number of lanes on that stretch from four to three. The street would then have two bi-directional lanes plus a center turning lane. Bevelheimer said going to a three-lane configuration would enhance safety because the center turning lane could then be used as a safe zone for students who invariably cross Maine Street at mid-block. Currently, students have to cross four lanes of busy traffic. Bevelheimer said students aren't supposed to jay-walk in the middle of the block. "But kids being kids, we know that's going to happen," he said. "It's just unreasonable to assume that they're going to walk three blocks out of their way to cross at a signal." One result of going to a three-lane configuration is that parking will no longer be allowed anywhere on Maine Street from 30th to 36th, including during Blue Devil basketball games at Blue Devil Gym in Baldwin School. "That's a concern of all of us," Bevelheimer said. "From a public safety standpoint it's a nightmare. So we feel from a public safety standpoint this is the right thing to do. But we certainly understand the traditions of people parking on Maine Street (during games), and we're going to have to work through that." Bevelheimer said this is one reason the School District wants to add more spaces in its parking lot -- so there will be more spots for the public, as well as students, once the changes on Maine Street go into effect. Adding to the parking lot's capacity also will mean fewer students will have to park on the street in nearby neighborhoods. "That has been a bugaboo for both the schools and the city," Bevelheimer said. If the grant money is awarded, as local officials hope, work on the two projects could begin in 2009. However, Bevelh Top of Page

King Elementary cyclists get a rules roundup at bicycle rodeo (Urbana) Thursday November 13, 2008 By Amy F. Reiter URBANA – If you're expecting lassoes and cowboy hats, you've come to the wrong place. Instead, expect newly refurbished bicycles, helmets and accoutrements, and plenty of adults out to make sure kids know the two-wheeled rules of the road. This is a bicycle rodeo, and there are no cattle to herd, only children to coax into helmets and out of doors onto an orange-coned bicycle course, where 10 of them tried out bikes they won at a school raffle. At King Elementary School in Urbana on Wednesday, the children submitted willingly to the helmets, just one more step in the school's yearlong collaboration with Champaign-Urbana Safe Routes to School, the city of Urbana and other organizations to make the well-traveled streets around King safer places to walk, bike and be. Third-grader Shianne Fears was pleased that her blue butterflied helmet matched her jacket. Her mom, Anitra Ellerbe, was more pleased that her daughter was learning about how to indicate turning and stopping on a bicycle. She was also pleased that families are getting informed on how to make the neighborhood safer. "We live close, and it's still a good idea (to learn safety rules), because the traffic around here sometimes gets pretty heavy," Ellerbe said. King represents Illinois this year as part of the national Safe Routes to School initiative, said Principal Jennifer Ivory-Tatum, and will be working all year to improve traveling conditions for students and their families. Traffic around the school – on the corner of Fairview and Goodwin avenues – "gets pretty hairy," she said. "We want to keep our corner safe." The principal said 55 percent to 60 percent of the students at King live within walking or bicycling distance, with some students who "walk, no matter what" the weather or traffic is like. The school is in the process of arranging walking and biking "school buses," where parent volunteers meet students along a predetermined route to travel to school. Ivory-Tatum said she hopes all the non-motored initiatives will lead to less traffic and congestion around the school. She called Wednesday's event – which drew many parents and bike advocates, as well as the children – "a mini-'Rules of the Road' for bikes." The bikes were repaired and readied for use by The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign, and then C-U Safe Routes "made them pretty," said local Safe Routes Co-Chairwoman Rose Hudson. All of the bikes came with lights, locks and helmets, as well. Urbana Police Officer Al Johnston has already talked with the kids about bicycle safety, but he reviews the information just in case. "Any time you're on your bicycle, wear a helmet," he told them. "Don't worry about hat-head." Fifth-grader Darnell Fleming said he knows the rules Johnston spoke about – and then some. "He didn't say this: Don't wear earphones when you're riding your bike," Darnell said, adding he knew of someone who was seriously injured when wearing them because she didn't realize a car was coming. He thinks the students at King can be role models of bicycle riding – rather than following someone else's poor example. "It's important because they don't want to follow other people," Darnell said. "They might copy what they see on the street, and then they'll end up hurt, so that's why it's important that they learn the safety rules." Third-grader Erick Strong sat with his father, also named Erick Strong, just minutes before getting his bicycle. They were going over the rules, and the son didn't quite know them all yet. But then, the father thought maybe he should go over these, too. "I'm going to read with my son," Strong said, "so that we can learn together." Top of Page

Congestion near St. Dominics and Madison Schools (Quincy) Thursday, November 13, 2008 By Rajah Maples QUINCY, ILL. -- Crowded, congested, cantankerous. Those are three words parents have to describe an area near two Quincy schools. We're talking about the area along Maine Street between Madison and St. Peters Schools. This topic came up during one of our recent KHQA Parent Advisory Board meetings. It's a group we meet with to help us gather topics that matter most to you and your children. KHQA's Rajah Maples checked the problem out for myself and took those concerns to the city. As you can see, it's already a landlocked area. Throw in scores of cars of parents picking up and dropping off their kids, not to mention large school buses, and it's a recipe for disaster. Quincy City Planner Chuck Bevelheimer says the city is aware of the issue and has even tossed around possible solutions. Bevelheimer said, "We've talked about indenting a parking area along the Madison School front to see if there's a way to open up the road a little bit more to give the parents a little more wiggle room where they're parking and to provide a safer zone for pedestrians and parents unloading." Bevelheimer said the city also is considering submitting an application to the Safe Routes to School program. It's a national program created to combat childhood obesity by getting more kids to walk or bike to school. The program also has an environmental component by improving air quality and the environment by decreasing the number of cars taking kids to and from schools. Bevelheimer said, "This is a highly dense, urban area. You got a park, you have 2 middle schools right next to each other. It's right in the middle of a residential neighborhood that has a lot of homes." None of the parents waiting in these cars would go on camera to talk about the congestion here. But they all told me the key is to arrive early, well before school gets out, to get a good parking spot. That way they can pick up their kids from school and be on their merry, less crowded way. Bevelheimer told me the city is working to get funding from the Safe Routes to School program for improvements near St. Dominic's and Baldwin schools. Top of Page

Board finalizes grant for safer school routes (Somonauk) Thursday, October 23, 2008 Melissa Garzanelli, melissag@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4049 Somonauk officials are hoping to receive funding to create safer routes for students to travel to and from school. The Somonauk School District and the Somonauk Village Board have been working in recent months to apply for theSafe Routes to School grant. Superintendent Susan Workman presented the grant application to the school board Monday. The application proposed adding devices to slow traffic on La Salle Street, such as additional stop signs, school zone signs and lighting as well as striping on roadways. The grant also requests funding for the installation of sidewalks on La Salle Street. A third project requests a bike-walking path that will connect the village park and the school district property. Workman reported that parents, teachers, students and community members weighed in about the major areas of concern for students getting to school safely. The Safe Routes to School program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration to serve elementary schools and does not require matching funds to receive grant money. The program's objective is to create or maintain safe paths for students to walk or ride their bicycles to and from school, as well as educating children on staying safe while traveling to and from campus.In other action, the board: Top of Page

New National Trust for Historic Preservation Program to Encourage Community-Centered Schools (State of Illinois) Monday, October 20, 2008 Grants will assist efforts in six states The National Trust for Historic Preservation is announcing a new technical assistance and grant program to promote community-centered schools in six states – California, Illinois, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. America’s community-centered schools—which strengthen neighborhoods, encourage environmentally-responsible development patterns, and promote the preservation and use of existing older schools—have been increasingly abandoned in recent decades, replaced by schools built on the outskirts of communities (where children cannot walk or bicycle to school). The six recipients will use the funds to research barriers to community-centered schools and to develop state-level policy recommendations. A total of $33,000 was awarded through the new grant program: • Local Government Commission, $6,000, to provide recommendations to the California Department of Education related to revisions of state-level school siting policy guiding documents; • Healthy Schools Campaign, $6,000, to develop model state-level policies which encourage sustainable schools throughout Illinois; • Innovation Partnership, $3,000, to educate the Oregon public and decision-makers about the many benefits of coordinated planning between school districts and local governments; • New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, $6,000, to enhance school building aid and siting policies; • Preservation Pennsylvania, $6,000, to determine how state-level fiscal policy affects school siting decisions across Pennsylvania; and • South Carolina Design Arts Partnership and South Carolina Arts Foundation, $6,000, to develop model policies that eliminate design barriers and encourage collaboration among governmental entities for educational facility planning. The grant program, called Helping Johnny Walk to School: Sustaining Communities through Smart School Siting Policies, has been funded by the EPA and will assist states in finding new strategies for tackling the complex—and often competing —goals surrounding school siting policies and practices. The grant recipients will help citizens and officials make informed choices on the siting of school facilities. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has been actively involved in this issue for many years. Since publishing the seminal work of Why Johnny Can’t Walk to School and listing the threat to neighborhood schools on its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has continually sought ways to raise awareness about the important link between community vitality and walkable neighborhood schools. To learn more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s work on this issue, visit our website at www.preservationnation.org/issues/historic-schools. To see how school siting affects Safe Routes to School, see this school siting resource on the Partnership’s website. Top of Page

EVENT:Brookport Safe Route To School Program Meeting Today (Metropolis & Brookport) Friday, October 10, 2008 Brookport, Illinois – In an effort to encourage and enable the children of Metropolis and Brookport to walk and bike to school, the City of Metropolis in cooperation with the Massac County School District launched a Safe Routes to School Program this fall. Today a public input forum will be held at the Brookport Elementary School Gym in conjunction with the PTO Family Fun Night and Chili Supper.To date, parent, student, and stakeholder surveys, walkabout and bikeabout events and other input opportunities have gained important data to assist in the development of our Safe Routes Travel Plan. This information has helped us to determine areas of concern and what steps should be taken to create a safe environment for our children to walk and bike to school. If you would like to learn about some of the issues as well as strategies we have identified to date, please come and ensure we can address any ideas or concerns you may have. Our School Travel Plan will be completed by October 31st. If you would like to become involved, we invite you to contact project coordinator Charlotte Anderson at golconda64@yahoo.com, or via phone at 618 638 2286. You may also contact Chief Mike Worthen in Metropolis at 618 524 2310, or Principal Debbie Christiansen in Brookport at 618 564 2482. (posted 8:53am by Larry Douglas) Top of Page

Walk to School Day turning Urbana into gaited community Tuesday October 7, 2008 By Amy F. Reiter On Wednesday, comfortable shoes are a must for parents and children around the area. It's International Walk to School Day, and schools around Champaign and Urbana will be participating. Events include a "walking school bus" where students are picked up by an adult and walk in a supervised group to school, and walks accompanied by local celebrities, including University of Illinois athletes and the mayors of Champaign and Urbana. Cynthia Hoyle, co-chair of the CU Safe Routes to School Project, said nearly 1,000 students walked during the last Walk to School Day, and she expects more than that this year. "The two main reasons that the schools have identified for us when we ask why they participate, the first one is health, to get kids to be more active, and then the second one is to help them learn about safety and how to get back and forth to school safely," she said. All of the elementary schools in Urbana are participating on Wednesday, as well as four Champaign elementaries, Hoyle said. According to the national Web site, www.walktoschool.org, 136 Illinois schools have walking plans for Wednesday. Rose Hudson, Hoyle's co-chair, said staff at schools have increasingly embraced the day, in its fifth annual round of local events. The Safe Routes organization did a survey of how local students got to school, Hoyle said, and found that on a normal day, about 15 percent walked and about 2 percent more bicycled. "About 43 percent are being driven in the family vehicle, and that creates congestion," she said, "which leaves it less safe for children, and which we now know deteriorates the air quality around schools ... from all of the idling vehicles." Top of Page

Pontiac to seek 'Safe Routes to School' grant Tuesday, October 07, 2008 Improving a mile and a half of sidewalks in Pontiac would contribute to "Safe Routes to School," the City Council agreed 9-0 Monday. The vote was on a resolution declaring the intent of the council "to encourage more of Pontiac's children to get to school safely, under their own power, and to encourage efforts to improve the routes those children take to get to school safely." The resolution supports seeking a grant of $188,314 from the state, via federal money, to repair or install 7,952 feet of sidewalk. The amount would pay for materials and the cost of city employees working on them, and Pontiac would have three years to complete the work, if it gets the grant. The two longest stretches would be Livingston and Prairie streets. They would be done from the junior high-Washington School area west to Central School. Eight blocks west and south of Lincoln School would be included. A sidewalk would be installed on Indiana Avenue from Brookside Subdivision to Illini Drive. The goal of the program, Street Superintendent Chris Brock noted in a memo to the council, is "to provide safe sidewalks for children to use instead of walking in the streets as many do, particularly on the north end of town." The Street and Maintenance departments worked together on the proposal, taking measurements, assessing sidewalk conditions, and compiling cost estimates. Maintenance Director Milt Hanson told the council Monday that over the last 40 years, the percentage of students walking or biking to school has declined from 50 to 15. City Administrator Robert Karls told the aldermen that school officials have "considerable input" into the proposal, including working with parent-teacher organizations. District 429 provided demographic and survey data that was required in applying for a Safe Routes grant. The Safe Routes to School program encourages students in kindergarten through eighth grade to walk or bike to school. The resolution the city will submit to the Illinois Department of Transportation, which administers the grants, says walking to school "supports childhood health by encouraging active lifestyles and reducing childhood obesity ... increases children's ability to interact with elements of the community and social environment, and ... increases the readiness of students to learn when they arrive at school." "More children walking to school will reduce traffic congestion in school zones, resulting in improved air quality and reduced fuel consumption," the resolution says, and it adds that "physical infrastructure improvements and increased community attention to pedestrians, primarily aimed at helping school children walk to school safely, will benefit the entire community." The council went on record resolving "that all Pontiac school children who are able to walk or bike and who live within reasonable distances from school can get to school under their own power in reasonable safety." Top of Page

Project to repair sidewalks around Pontiac schools OK'd Monday, October 6, 2008 By Tony Sapochetti tsapochetti@pantagraph.com PONTIAC — The Pontiac City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday night that would both repair sidewalks and encourage active lifestyles in area students. The Safe Routes to School program is a reimbursement grant program where the city would be reimbursed for funds spent up to an allocated amount. The idea of the program is to make infrastructure repairs to sidewalks to encourage children to not ride in a car to school. “It’s designed to create an environment were students either bike or walk to school,” City Maintenance Department Director Milt Hanson said. “Over the last 40 years, biking or walking has declined from 50 percent to 15 percent.” Hanson said that the city has identified around 8,000 feet of sidewalk in and around area grade schools. A proposal of $188,314 will be submitted, and the city will have three years to complete the project if they are awarded the grant. The sidewalks are intended to provide safer passage for students rather than having children walk on the streets, as many do in the north end of town, City Street Superintendent Chris Brock said in a letter. The resolution also said that this would hopefully support childhood health, reduce childhood obesity, an increase in a child’s ability to interact with community and social environment and be a general benefit to the entire community. Top of Page

Harlem district students to learn school safe routes Wednesday, October 1, 2008 MACHESNEY PARK — Students, parents, teachers and community leaders are getting ready for the Safe Walk to School Day on Wednesday. Those involved say they’re looking forward to the presence of speed sensors positioned near Harlem School District elementary schools. Harlem and Machesney Park received a $5,429 grant from the Safe Routes to Schools program, said Karen Lemmons, Machesney Park community development director. The purpose of the grant is to promote safety and healthy lifestyle by encouraging children to walk or bike to school. About $4,000 of the grant was used to purchase portable speed sensors, which clock drivers who are passing by, she said. The speed sensors will rotate at each elementary school location. Village engineers and public works officials will conduct a survey of the schools to see which schools will benefit the most from the presence of the sensors. “We applied for a construction grant to install sidewalks near the elementary schools,” Lemmons said. “We didn’t get that one, but we are applying for it again.” Lemmons hopes to receive the grant because schools without nearby sidewalks could force students who walk to school to walk in the street. Loves Park Mayor Darryl Lindberg will attend next week’s walk to Rock Cut Elementary. “I hope this happens every year because the children change each year, and the families will need to learn the safest way their children can get to school,” Lindberg said. Lindberg reminded home-owners that it’s also important for them to take care of the sidewalks outside of their homes because children walk on them every day. The Safe Walk to School event will show parents and students the safest way to walk to school so the children can commute that way instead of being dropped off at school by their parents. The walk will begin at 7:40 a.m. The staging areas are: — Loves Park Elementary: Martin Park on East Drive, Loves Park. — Marquette Elementary/Machesney Elementary: Machesney Park Mall. — Maple Elementary: Hoffman School, 7511 Elm Ave., Machesney Park. — Olson Park Elementary: Harlem High School near Alpine Road. — Ralston Elementary: Harlem-Roscoe Fire Station, 825 Ralston Road, Machesney Park. — Rock Cut Elementary: Grace Reformed Church, 7721 N. Alpine Road, Loves Park. — Windsor Elementary: Carlson Boys & Girls Club, 1030 Evans Ave., Machesney Park. Staff writer Katie Backman can be reached at 815-987-1389 or kbackman@rrstar.com. Top of Page

Morton aims for safe school route grant Tuesday, September 20, 2008 MORTON — The village and Morton District 709 are joining forces to apply for a $300,000 Safe Routes to School federal grant. The grant, administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, would pay for the replacement of crumbling sidewalks, curbs and gutters, installation of new sidewalks, and new crosswalks in an area that includes Grundy Elementary School, Blessed Sacrament School and Bethel Lutheran School. All the work would need to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The "travel plan" for the grant must be submitted by Oct. 31, and the grant proposal by Dec. 1. The village would do the work and be reimbursed for it. Morton Director of Tourism Susan Pyles has been working with District 709 Superintendent Roger Kilpatrick since June on gathering information for the proposal. "The idea behind the grant is to make it safe for kids to walk and ride their bike to school," Pyles said. "There also would be money to educate students about walking and bicycle safety." Pyles said the Grundy/Blessed Sacrament/Bethel Lutheran area was chosen because of the large number of students the grant would affect. The schools are located within about 1 1/2 miles of each other. Grundy is at 1100 S. Fourth Ave., Blessed Sacrament at 233 E. Greenwood St., and Bethel Lutheran at 325 E. Queenwood Road. Pyles has identified nine sections of streets in the area that don't have sidewalks. Communities and school districts can apply for three Safe Routes to Schools grants. Pyles said Jefferson Elementary School and Morton Junior High School/Morton High School are other target areas. A survey sent to Grundy, Blessed Sacrament and Bethel Lutheran parents revealed solid community support for the grant application. The handful of parents who attended a meeting Tuesday at Grundy added their verbal support. Grundy Principal Michael Saunders wants the grant to make the intersection of Fourth and Greenwood safer. The school is just east of the intersection, which is a two-way stop. "That isn't as much of a problem as the drivers who don't obey the (30 mph) speed limit," Saunders said. Other area school districts have received Safe Routes to School grants. Last year, schools in Farmington, Germantown Hills and North Pekin benefited from grants. Steve Stein can be reached at 686-3114 or stevestein21@yahoo.com. Top of Page

C-U working to make roads safer for children Friday, September 12, 2008 ast year 96 children in the state of Illinois between the ages of 5 and 18 were killed by cars while walking to school. As a result, the Illinois State Board of Education is encouraging schools and police departments to make walking to school as safe as possible. This push for safety actually began two years ago. Working together, schools and police departments can set up speed zones and make sure signs are posted in advance of the zones. "We just want to remind drivers that a - you need to slow down in a school speed zone and b - you need to remember (the rules for driving when buses are present)," said Matt Vanover, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Education. Both Champaign and Urbana have been working to make the areas around schools safer for students who walk or bike, although they report there have been no serious accidents involving students walking or biking in years. "Safety for kids is always an issue on everybody's minds," said Joe Davis, interim business manager for Unit 4. Davis said the city of Champaign and Unit 4 work together. Police and crossing guards help children cross busy streets. Another important component to children's safety is crossing guards, Hoyle said. They work few hours for little pay but make a big difference in helping children get to school. Rose Hudson, a crossing guard and co-chair for the International Walk to School Day, said people who help children in traffic have to stand up for the children and protect their safety. "I don't need to be standing out there in the rain and the snow, but I do it for the kids," she said. Fourteen years ago Hudson was behind a push to hire crossing guards near Robeson Elementary School because busy roads were built through neighborhoods, increasing the traffic. She said children do not have the depth perception to tell if they should cross; thus adults need to help them. "They're not equipped yet to deal with the traffic," she added. Both Unit 4 and District 116 in Urbana work with their respective cities to apply for grants. Grant funds can be used to build bike paths and post more signs for school zones. The cities are participating in the International Walk to School Day for the fifth year. All of the grade schools in Urbana and half of the grade schools in Champaign are participating in the event on Oct. 8. The event has grown every year, with only four schools participating the first year. "We just took it and ran with it," Hudson said. Each school organizes its own event, but most involve a group walk. Elected officials, school administrators, police officers, University student-athletes, parents and kids all walk to the schools together. These events also provide kids, parents and motorists with safety information. "Walking along the routes gives you a whole new perspective," said Cynthia Hoyle, transportation planning consultant for Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District and co-chair for the event. Hoyle and Hudson both worked to make the attention the International Walk to School Day receives occur year-round. They helped Champaign and Urbana secure federal grant funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation for safe routes to school activities. The grant will help buy new road signs that notify drivers of the speed limit, as well as fund a media campaign to put billboards, commercials and newspaper stories in place to remind people to watch out for children. Hudson said programs for after school programs and guest speakers are also being planned. "It's really become a community effort to make sure that our kids are safe around the schools," Hudson said. Top of Page

EVENT: Safe Routes To School Program To Be Launched In Metropolis And Brookport Sunday, September 07, 2008 Metropolis, Illinois – In an effort to encourage and enable the children of Metropolis and Brookport to walk and bike to school, the City of Metropolis, in cooperation with the Massac County Unit District One, will launch its Safe Routes to school program on Tuesday at 6p.m. at the Metropolis Elementary School Cafeteria. At the same time, a public input forum will be held at Brookport Elementary School gym in conjunction with the PTO meeting. These two events, the first of a series of public input opportunities, will be undertaken in order to provide information to the community regarding the Safe Routes to School program. For additional information, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.(posted 8:49 pm by Larry Douglas) Top of Page

Closing of parks, historic sites rob us of priceless assets/Walking for a cause Sunday, September 7, 2008 Scott Richardson Walking for a cause I nominate Mark Fenton for president. The host of the PBS series, America’s Walking, sold me on his fictional candidacy recently when he shared his presidential platform with an audience in Normal. Barack Obama and John McCain can debate their often complex and expensive plans to solve problems in health care, foreign energy dependence, environmental degradation and an aging transportation infrastructure. Fenton has a simpler answer on how to address those issues and local troubles, including education costs, traffic congestion and local economic development. “The answer is more walkable and biking friendly communities,” Fenton told the first-ever Illinois Safe Routes to School conference at Illinois State University. “To make that a national campaign issue would be a great thing.” The goal is being accelerated by higher fuel costs and news coverage focusing on the U.S. obesity epidemic, he said. “The curve is going up and getting steeper,” he said. What was once called adult onset diabetes is now termed Type II Diabetes because the disease is showing up in America’s young people. A third of the nation’s children qualify as overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But Fenton said the problem goes deeper. The obesity epidemic is really two problems in one, an epidemic of physical inactivity and an epidemic of poor nutrition. Studies already point to the way out, he said. Recent research looked at 3,000 people at risk for diabetes. They were divided into three equal groups. One was given standard nutritional counseling and a placebo. The second group received counseling and medicine. The third were encouraged to eat healthier foods and exercise. The people who received medication saw a 30 percent reduction in their risk of diabetes. But risk in the group that modified their lifestyles was cut by 60 percent. “This is not complex science,” Fenton said. “Building walk-able, bike-able communities is part of the solution.” Fenton had great words to say about Normal and ISU after remarks by Normal councilman Chuck Scott, who also is director of facilities management at ISU. He described ISU’s new Reggie Ride program that received national press attention after The Pantagraph detailed how the university is channeling abandoned bikes to a free loaner program open to ISU students and staff. Scott also told how the City Council voted to spend $50,000 to hire a planner to study safe routes for people to walk and ride bikes and he touted Constitution Trail, the popular pathway that stretches about 30 miles through Bloomington-Normal. Normal also is cooperating in development of the Main Street Corridor that includes ideas like bike lanes and trolley cars, he said. But Fenton he stressed more needs to be done. Many school administrators are slow to see the value of walking and biking programs like Safe Routes to School. More than just addressing out-of-shape kids, walking and biking means the areas surrounding schools have less congestion. Some studies note kids who are physically active behave better and perform better academically, Fenton said. Safe Routes to Schools is a national program to remove roadblocks stopping school children from walking and riding bikes. The Illinois Department of Transportation awarded $8 million for projects ranging from re-engineering sidewalks to be bike-friendly to buying equipment for crossing guards. Not all solutions cost a lot. “It’s not always about $800,000 for sidewalks, it’s $200 for a bike rack,” said Fenton, who also detailed how dads volunteered to build stairs and an amphitheater to help make a walking path at his children’s school. Kids who can’t walk to school can take a walk during lunch hour or recess. “Lack of money is not the reason this is not happening,” he said. Fenton said minds must change, too. Top of Page

Conference will focus on biking, walking to school Tuesday, August 12, 2008 By Scott Richardson srichardson@pantagraph.com NORMAL -- Federal, state and local officials will meet Wednesday and Thursday to study ways to encourage kids to ride bikes or walk to school. The conference at Illinois State University is the first statewide gathering to focus on Safe Roads to School, a national program Congress established in 2005. Federal lawmakers set aside more than $600 million to spend through 2009 to promote fitness and attack obesity among children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Reducing busing and fuel costs and traffic congestion near schools at peak hours are other positive side effects. The primary reason behind SRTS is as clear as the bulging waistlines in cafeteria lines. The Centers for Disease Control says nearly one-third of children ages 2-19 are overweight or obese. “Headlines say this will be the first generation of kids who won’t live as long as their parents. That is really disturbing,” said Megan Holt, Safe Routes to School coordinator for the Illinois Department of Transportation, which administers Safe Roads to School grants in the state. “A lot of parents and health workers see their children and students suffering from diseases (caused by bad diet) they usually only see in middle-aged people.” Higher fuel costs also have sparked a surge in interest in the program among school administrators, who face tough decisions when they try to balance their budgets, she said. “Schools were busing kids on demand. Now, they’re looking at transportation budgets and seeing it is either buses or teachers,” she said. Safe Roads to School began in Denmark and Canada to attack roadblocks, including traffic danger and crime, that detour parents and kids from using transportation other than cars and buses. Solutions range from funding speed-feedback trailers and equipment for traffic guards to engineering bike-friendly sidewalks and bike paths and installing bike racks. “The point is to encourage kids to walk and bike where it’s safe and where it’s not safe, to make it safe,” Holt said. IDOT and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation are co-sponsoring the conference. Wednesday’s session at the ISU College of Business is a workshop for government and school officials and local advocates on what they can do. Thursday’s session at Schroeder Hall will focus on success stories. Mark Fenton of America’s Walking on the PBS network will give the keynote speech shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday. He’ll be preceded by Holt and Chris Koos, owner of Vitesse Cycle and mayor of Normal, where the city council recently hired a planner to study safe bike and pedestrian routes. ISU also recently announced the start of the Reggie Bike Program so students and staff can borrow bikes to pedal around campus and around town. In the first round of SRTS grants made recently in Illinois, awards totaled $8 million for 112 projects. But, requests numbered nearly 300 applications for more than 1,000 projects totaling nearly $78 million. “The demand for Safe Routes to School programs in communities across the U.S. exceeds the amount available,” Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. “In nearly every state that has awarded program funding so far, there were more applications than what the states could fund.” Top of Page

Task Force releases recommendations for advancing Safe Routes to School July 28, 2008 CHAPEL HILL, NC — The National Safe Routes to School Task Force has released its final report, Safe Routes to School: A Transportation Legacy - A National Strategy to Increase Safety and Physical Activity among American Youth. To access the full report, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/task_force. The Task Force was called for in law and established by the U.S. Department of Transportation to study and develop a strategy for advancing programs that enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school. Among the recommendations made by the Task Force are to effectively spend current Federal SRTS funds, initiate innovative solutions to advance SRTS and encourage support from SRTS stakeholders at the local, state and national level. The Task Force also recommends an increase in funding for the program at the Federal level. “The demand for Safe Routes to School programs in communities across the US exceeds the available amount available,” said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School and Task Force member. “In nearly every state that has awarded program funding so far, there were more applications than what the states could fund.” The report outlines the early successes of the Federal Safe Routes to School program. As of March 2008, States have committed to spending approximately $222 million on SRTS programs. Forty two States have announced funding for local and/or statewide programs involving nearly 2600 schools. The remaining States are either working to set up their programs or are in various stages of the first application cycle. The report also outlines the importance of advancing opportunities and addressing challenges that face Safe Routes to School. The Task Force recommends working on solutions to address issues that limit or prevent walking and bicycling such as liability concerns from schools, the design and location of school campuses and personal safety concerns among parents. The Task Force includes members from the health, transportation, and education industries as well as state government, local agencies and non-profit organizations. For a complete list of Task Force members, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/task_force/task_force_members.cfm. Top of Page

AASA Survey Finds Rising Fuel, Energy Costs Stressing School Budgets Tuesday, July 29, 2008 ARLINGTON, VA. – Rising fuel and energy costs are taking a toll on school system budgets nationwide, according to the results of a new survey released today by the American Association of School Administrators. The eight-question AASA Fuel and Energy Snapshot Survey asked school superintendents about the effect of rising fuel and energy costs on their school districts. Ninety-nine percent of respondents reported these rising costs are having an impact on their school systems. Further, they reported that conserving energy, cutting back on student field trips and consolidating bus routes are among the top steps districts are taking to minimize the impact of rising fuel and energy costs. For more information, please visit: http://www.aasa.org/newsroom/pressdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=10637 Top of Page

Director's Column: Safe Routes to School: A Great Way to Get Youth with and without Disabilities More Active March 10, 2008 As a youngster growing up in New York City, the primary means of transportation anywhere within a radius of 10 miles or so was on bike. Many others from my generation have expressed the same sentiment: No matter where we went, we were always on our bikes -- to school, the store, the playground, or just riding around the neighborhood. Clearly, the New Age generation of cable TV, the internet and video games has delivered a hit to outdoor activities such as bike riding and walking. According to Safe Routes to School (SRTS), when adults are asked the question, “How did you get to school when you were a kid?”, the most common answer is “walking.” In 1969, approximately 50 percent of children walked or biked to school. Today, that number has plummeted to less than 15 percent, and it will likely stay that way until we have a ‘sea change’ in how we travel from one point to another in our own neighborhoods. If we are going to turn this childhood obesity epidemic around, we need to start with some type of regular physical activity that can be easily installed into a structured daily routine. A 5- to 15-minute bike ride to and from school is a good way for youth to reach the recommended 60-minutes a day of physical activity. In our effort to get America moving again, we must also not forget that of the 5.5 million children in this nation who have a disability, many are unable to ride a bike or need an adaptive bike or handcycle... For more of this article, please visit: http://www.ncpad.org/director/fact_sheet.php?sheet=602 Top of Page

Safe Routes to Urbana Schools Monday, Jul 21, 2008 The city of Urbana recently received about 85,00 dollars in federal funding to create safer routes to school. That cash will buy hundreds of new signs and warning lights to flash some sense into distracted drivers. Scott Paluska pedals his daughter to and from school each fall and with every trip comes fear. "I worry about distracted drivers," he said. "I worry about people not paying attention to potential situations where a child may dart out in front of them." At Leal Elementary he's seen drivers whiz by without turning their heads. "I think a lot of people may disregard some of the crosswalks or not notice the signs that are there," he said. That's why the city stepped in to help. "We wanted to go through and make all of the signs the bright fluorescent yellow green so they're the most noticeable that they can be," said Urbana civil engineer Jennifer Selby. She's working with the department of transportation to install about 300 new school zone signs. Schools off major roads like Prairie Elementary will see additional changes. "We'll also have flashing beacons on the speed zone head signs," said Selby. Parents hope the safety improvements will keep their little ones out of danger and pave the way to a better commute. "We really need to be thinking about those who are outside of vehicles," said Paluska. In total 10 schools will get new signs. The city hopes to have them up by the start of the school year, but it may take a little longer. Top of Page

Police pose as pedestrians to nab errant drivers (Chicago, IL) July 16, 2008 So why did Officer Grace Delgado try to cross the road? To remind motorists that they must stop whenever someone steps off the curb into a crosswalk. In an unusual undercover operation, Delgado posed as a pedestrian on a busy street while fellow officers waited for drivers to barrel past her in violation of a law that requires them yield at crosswalks, even if there is no stop sign. Chicago this year joined a growing number of big cities and small towns that are sending officers into traffic to make motorists pay more attention to pedestrians. For full story, visit: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25707777/from/ET/ Top of Page

Alton High gets new assistant principal (Approves SRTS Plans) July 15, 2008 - 10:35PM By LINDA N. WELLER The Telegraph ALTON - The Alton School Board accepted the resignation of one high school assistant principal and also named her replacement Tuesday. Latoya Berry-Coleman, an English teacher from Cahokia High School, got the unanimous vote to take the place of Tricia Blackard, who resigned to take other employment. Members accepted Blackard's resignation, as well as the following staff members' extra duty assignments: David Beile, assistant football coach at Alton Middle School; Bradley Bolt, assistant boys soccer coach at Alton High; Bobby Everage, AHS assistant girls basketball coach; Andrew Funkhouser, middle school assistant football coach; and Angie Payne, AHS assistant girls basketball coach. The board also approved a safe routes to school travel plan agreement with the village of Godfrey, with the program contingent upon the village obtaining up to $250,000 and the school district getting up to $25,000 in grants. The money originates from the U.S. Department of Transportation, but administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. "It increases the opportunities for children to walk to school and reduce traffic," said Kimberly Caughran, director of the Godfrey Parks and Recreation Department. "A lot of kids are being driven by parents, because they feel it is not safe." Alton School District Superintendent David Elson said the collaborative program would involve building trails for walking and riding bicycles along Stanka Lane to North Elementary School; along Humbert Road to Lewis and Clark Elementary School; and along Illinois Route 3 to Gilson Brown Elementary School. All of the schools are in Godfrey. The pathways would have barriers to keep children out of the street and protect them from any vehicles that leave the road, he said. Elson said the paths might reduce bus ridership, but the main goal is to encourage pupils to get exercise, as most now ride buses. "It would address other factors, such as obesity in kids, and encourage a healthy lifestyle," he said. The village's grant would pay for infrastructure; the school's grant would be for promotional materials, perhaps pedometers and other items, Caughran said. READ MORE ON THIS STORY in the print edition of Wednesday's Telegraph. Top of Page

Connect with other programs at the Safe Routes Forums May 27, 2008 CHAPEL HILL, NC — The National Center for Safe Routes to School has launched the Safe Routes Forums, a Web-based community aimed at connecting Safe Routes to School programs from across the country at www.saferoutesinfo.org/forums. Using the Safe Routes Forums, programs can announce their successes as well as seek out information from other local programs. Users can find out what others have done to launch their programs or who they partnered with to promote walking and bicycling. “We see a great need for Safe Routes to School programs to connect and learn from one another,” said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. “We decided to help address this need by offering programs the ability to connect online with the Safe Routes Forums.” To minimize spam entries on the Safe Routes Forums, all users will need to register an account and confirm their email address before beginning to post to the Forums. To register an account, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/forums, click on “Log In” and use the form on the right of the page. Users should also review the Forums Guidelines prior to posting at www.saferoutesinfo.org/forums/guidelines.cfm. Are you new to posting on Web Forums? You can read through the Frequently Asked Questions on how to get started at www.saferoutesinfo.org/forums/faq.cfm. Top of Page

Take a hike: Machesney Park, Harlem earn grant to motivate kids to walk or bike 5-15-08 By Mike Wiser RRSTAR.COM Posted May 15, 2008 @ 07:55 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MACHESNEY PARK — The village and school district will spend thousands of dollars this year to buy digital speed signs and start a program that encourages children to walk or take their bicycles to school. Money will come from a $5,429 Illinois Department of Transportation grant officials announced during a news conference this afternoon at Olson Park Elementary School. The grant — actually two grants, one for $4,000 and one for the remainder — was one of 112 projects funded this year by the department under its Safe Routes to Schools program. The village and school district project was one of 1,042 applications the department received this year. “We know that health issues and obesity are rising for adults,” Machesney Park Village President Linda Vaughn said. “More and more, it’s becoming an issue for children, too.” She said the grant application was written with the idea to motivate children to be more active in their daily routines. Harlem High School mathematics teacher Xan Milne, who wrote the grant, said $4,000 will be spent on speed signs to show motorists their traveling speed and as a reminder to them to slow down in school zones where children may be on their way to and from school. After unveiling the big cardboard check, which brought a sustained applause from the dozens of children at Olson Park Elementary who sat outside during the news conference, Olson Park Principal Jan Jones singled out 9-year-old Jacob Bonebright for a special award. The school has a milage club in which children are given small rewards for each mile they run on Olson Park’s quarter-mile track. Bonebright’s certificate noted he passed the 100-mile mark this year. To date, in fact, the wiry preteen has logged 125 miles on the track. He told the crowd he wanted to complete 150 before the school year ends in a couple of weeks. With that note of optimism, he led his classmates on a run around the park. “I don’t know where he got it from,” said Tina Bonebright, Jacob’s mother, who attended the news conference. “He just started doing it at the beginning of the year and hasn’t stopped.” Paul Sheppard, the village’s director of public works and parks, said the signs haven’t been ordered yet. “We’re looking to get a couple permanent signs and some ones that are portable,” he said. “They cost about $600-$800, so we want to buy in bulk and see if we can get a deal.” He said the signs would be placed in and around school zones and the permanent ones should be installed by fall. Staff writer Mike Wiser can be reached at 815-987-1377 or mwiser@rrstar.com. Top of Page

Crossing guards merit appreciation Tuesday, May 6, 2008 Crossing guards are critical to preserving the important and healthful tradition of walking and biking to school and I ask you and your community to recognize these unsung heroes today for the fourth annual Crossing Guard Appreciation Day. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, in a proclamation recognizing the danger crossing guards face every day for our children's safety, states, "Crossing guards play an integral role in our communities, working hard to ensure the security of children as they walk to and from school and cross streets." Walking and biking to school is an important way to improve health and the environment -- it increases physical activity and reduces emissions from cars and buses. Across the country, the Safe Routes to School movement is taking off, making walking and biking to school safe and popular once again. This renewed interest in walking and biking to school creates greater demand for crossing guards every day. Join the appreciation for these heroes and help keep walking and bicycling in our children's lives. Rob Sadowsky Executive Director Chicagoland Bicycle Federation Chicago Top of Page

Safe Routes to School National Partnership Announces New State Network Project With generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the SRTS National Partnership is implementing the SRTS State Network Project in nine states and the District of Columbia. The project creates state networks that bring together advocacy groups, government agencies and other leaders to support the SRTS program and ensure its success and growth. Top of Page

Towns trying to provide safe routes to schools (Champaign) Sunday, August 26, 2007 Rick Langlois worries about how his son gets to school. When his son went to Robeson Elementary School in Champaign, Langlois often cycled with him. But now that son is headed to Jefferson Middle School, and ready for more independence. Rest of story in Champaign News-Gazette archive. Top of Page

Board looks to make school routes safer Thursday, June 7, 2007 Trustees approve application for program grant By Sherrie Taylor ALPHA - Village Board members Monday night approved a resolution to apply for a grant for the "Safe Routes to School" plan. The reimbursement grant program, through Illinois Department of Transportation, provides for sidewalks, necessary easements, marking crosswalks and other safety work to provide for children's safety. The board will get estimates for the work it is considering, but the plan has to be submitted by the end of June. AlWood faculty member Cassie Hanson attended the meeting and discussed the changes the AlWood District is considering. At the elementary school, this will include changes in parking, bus zone, extending a fence and adding sidewalk. The plan at the elementary school would result in a curb that would narrow East A Street. "Narrowing routes slows traffic," Hanson said. The board expressed concern about the condition of the shoulder of East A Street if the street is narrowed on the north, or school side. Board members planned to visit the site and consider how this might affect the street. The Village Board will continue to work on a plan to get the Marlane addition residences connected to the rest of the village. This is part of the overall plan and was a top priority on a survey. Trustee Angie Althaus has been working with Hanson on the plans for the village work with regard to this proposal and grant. Bills were approved for payment, with the bill from Superior Asphalt amended to $4,150, the amount of the original estimate. The bill submitted was in the amount of $8,926 and though additional patching work was added to the original estimate, Trustee Mike Petrovich, street chairman, will contact the business and any balance will be paid next month. Petrovich explained preparation work for the blacktop scheduled for the west side of town. Village streets east of U.S. 150 were repaired and blacktopped a few years ago. "Grading work needs to be done, possibly move a meter pit, install some culverts, and continue patching," Petrovich said. The board approved a resolution to appropriate $120,000 in motor fuel tax funds to pay for the work. Top of Page

West Frankfort Safe Routes to Schools travel plan accepted Students who attend West Frankfort schools, in particular Frankfort Intermediate School and Central Junior High School, were given even more reason to be optimistic earlier this week about the prospects of sidewalks eventually lining Ninth Street and providing them with a safer alternative than the route some are currently forced to take when walking to school. The West Frankfort Safe Routes to Schools (WFSRTS) Travel Plan has been accepted by the Illinois Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) and is now eligible to submit projects and programs. Top of Page

Walking school bus in Quincy Monday, May 28, 2007 By Rajah Maples QUINCY, IL -- Here's a another followup to a story we brought you about kids walking to and from school in Quincy.....and the safety concerns involved. Some parents have put some of those worries to rest by starting what's called a "walking school bus." It's a group of students, led and monitored by parents, who walk to school together. Of course, there wasn't anything like that around when I attended elementary school, so I took out my walking shoes to check it out. Parents Maureen Crickard and Belinda Cullo say this walking school bus's daily route to Madison and Baldwin schools serves several purposes. Maureen Crickard: "We thought it would be a good idea..... great exercise and a great way to start the day." Not to mention a way to dodge high gas prices and increase student safety. Some Quincy parents have expressed concern over kids' safety walking to and from school due to lack of sidewalks and traffic congestion in some parts of the city. A walking school bus like this one, addresses some of those concerns. What's it like to be on a walking school bus? Lauren McLaughlin & George Crickard (4th Graders): "It's tough 'cause we have to get everyone where they ought to be." But the reward is that good ol' sendoff from mom to help get the day started off on the right foot. The City of Quincy hopes to create more of these walking school buses next school year as part of its Safe Routes to School. Top of Page

Plan aims to get more Quincy students walking to school Thursday, May 03, 2007 By Rajah Maples QUINCY, IL -- We have more information on the story we brought you last week about Quincy's Safe Routes to Schools program. We told you that Quincy is joining a national program to help cut down on childhood obesity by encouraging students to walk or ride their bikes to and from school. But some parents say they fear for their kids' safety. KHQA's Rajah Maples walked home from school with a couple of parents and their children to get an idea of the problems. Here's what she found. Cheryl Otten's and Melissa Heiden's daughters attend Ellington School in the northeast part of Quincy. These mothers walk their kids home from school on most days, because they don't want them walking home without an adult. They don't live very far from school, but they're not taking any chances........especially with a registered sex offender in the area. Rajah: "What are some of your concerns?" Cheryl: "There are no sidewalks, and you never know who will be driving by. She's only 9 years old, and I feel like I'm putting bait out there." Melissa: "The traffic is so bad. It would probably be a straight shot to our home if we walked all the way down 30th, but I know we would never get across the street. Traffic is really bad in this area at this time of the day." Traffic is a concern around any school. But Ellington is unique. Huck Store Fixture Company is just a block west, Titan Wheel is behind that, and and A-D-M is right next door. That means lots of big traffic, and some of the shift changes happen not long after kids leave school in the afternoon. Plus, Melissa pushes her other child in a stroller when she picks up her daughter from school. When she does find a sidewalk to walk on, they're not always in good condition. Both mothers are grateful they're able to walk their kids home. But they're concerned about other kids whose parents are working and aren't able to walk their kids home. They think the idea of letting kids walk to and from school is great, but it raises several safety issues they hope won't result in tragedy. Both the city and the school are working together to fix some of these problems. City Planner Chuck Bevelheimer has asked all public and parochial schools to submit recommendations to his office as part of the "Safe Routes to school" program. Some of those recommendations include new sidewalks and buying and installing two speed enforcement signs, like the ones at Ellington, at every school. Ellington Principal Anne Cashman plans to meet with the city later this week to talk about some of the school's needs. Cashman says Ellington plans to address sidewalk issues on the West part of 30th Street and congestion problems on Lindell Street just south of the school. Top of Page

Walking home from school concerns (Quincy) Thursday, May 03, 2007 By Rajah Maples QUINCY, IL -- We have more information on the story we brought you last week about Quincy's Safe Routes to Schools program. We told you that Quincy is joining a national program to help cut down on childhood obesity by encouraging students to walk or ride their bikes to and from school. But some parents say they fear for their kids' safety. KHQA's Rajah Maples walked home from school with a couple of parents and their children to get an idea of the problems. Here's what she found. Cheryl Otten's and Melissa Heiden's daughters attend Ellington School in the northeast part of Quincy. These mothers walk their kids home from school on most days, because they don't want them walking home without an adult.