Latest news with #SafeRoutestoSchool
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Rosslare kids saddle up for bike week with a cycle to school in glorious sunshine
The kids from Scoil Mhuire, Rosslare Strand, were excited to use pedal power to get to school with a special escort on the morning from the flashing blue lights of local gardaí. Clocking up just over 1.6km, the convoy was quite a sight, with motorists kindly giving way and providing a safe environment for students of all ages and cycling abilities. When they made it inside the school gates, thirsts were quenched with healthy refreshments kindly donated by the local Centra in Rosslare Strand. The completion in 2024 of the Safe Routes to School works made Scoil Mhuire an ideal location for the cycle and the students were more than up for the challenge. Excitement was building all week, with bikes being dragged out of dark corners of many a shed. Clinton Donovan, Wexford County Council's recently-appointed Cycling & Walking Officer praised the event and its participants. 'It was fantastic to see the children so enthusiastic about their cycle to school and hopefully it will help show that cycling is fun and can be enjoyed by everyone," he said. He also commended the local motorists for their patience and support, noting the positive atmosphere contributed greatly to the experience for both cyclists and spectators. Arranging the cycle to school was a team effort led by the school Principal, Mr Bobby Kenny, parent reps Anita Power and Yvonne O' Sullivan, Clinton Donovan (Wexford County Council) and Lucy Murphy (Green-Schools Travel Officer with An Taisce), with the assistance of Garda John Hubbard.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Virginia Safe Routes to School programs see future funding in jeopardy
Linwood Holton Elementary School students experience the joy of walking and biking to school on protected streets during Bike to School Day May 7. (Photo by Chip Jackson/Richmond Public Schools) A state grant program called Safe Routes to Schools, which funds crossing guard training, teaches students how to safely ride a bike and sponsors walk and bike to school days, has gone through a metamorphosis that could put the brakes on those initiatives. Safe Routes to Schools was created in 2005 under the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act but got an influx of funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was passed in 2021. Safe Routes to School funds Fit4Kids, an initiative promoting a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and movement implemented in Central Virginia school districts including in the cities of Richmond, Hopewell and Petersburg, and Chesterfield and Henrico Counties. 'Fit4Kids has been the Safe Routes to School program for the city of Richmond for about 10 years,' said Mary Dunne Stewart, chief executive officer of Greater Richmond Fit4Kids. Stewart said in that time, they were able to grow it from a small pilot program, to a district-wide one that trains more than 100 crossing guards and teaches 750 students annually in their Learn to Bike program. In Harrisonburg, project coordinator Andrea Troyer said though their program has been 'on and off' for 10 years, and was originally led by a part-time coordinator. But because of a SRTS grant, they were able to hire her as a full-time coordinator back in November. Since then, she's been trying to restart the bike program. 'One of the big things that's been a success, is the education around students in their bike units,' she said. I was coming from a school that had started up their bike unit for the first time in six years. And so it's really exciting to kind of see the excitement from teachers, administrators, students, (and) from parents.' A major change to how program facilitators request funding and use it has left them unsure if they'll be able to grow their outreach efforts in the fiscal years of 2027-28. Stewart said in the beginning, the Fit4Kids program was funded in a certain way. 'It used to be funded by a specific line item at VDOT that was for Safe Routes to School with federal funding. And that funding went away about three years ago,' Stewart said. According to Jessica Cowardin, assistant director of communications for the Virginia Department of Transportation, when federal funding for the SRTS program was eliminated, the activities under the program became eligible under the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). 'Because dedicated SRTS funding has not been federally reestablished, all SRTS projects must be administered in accordance with the federal TAP guidance,' Cowardin said in an email to Virginia Mercury. Stewart thought the change was 'great,' and said the funding stream still allowed localities to apply for various bike, pedestrian and infrastructure projects. But the issue is in the numbers. Normally when requesting funds, programs such as Fit4Kids work in conjunction with city departments. In Richmond, for example, it's the Department of Public Works. In turn, DPW piggybacks Fit4Kids requests into their bigger pile of funding requests for infrastructure projects. In the past, localities could request funding for up to 11 projects. But now, that number has dwindled to five. This means projects under TAP have to compete with the larger, more expensive infrastructure projects cities need money for. The purpose of the change, some local leaders said, remains unclear. 'We're trying to figure out, why is this happening? Is this a big picture strategy decision from the governor's office or from the Secretary of Transportation? Or is this kind of a mid-level decision?' asked Stewart. 'The only response we've gotten is that they're trying to incentivize new programs.' Cowardin of VDOT said they have to administer TAP funding in accordance with federal and state code and in line with policies established by Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), which were last updated in summer of 2023. She said the change in maximum TAP applications to five per cycle went into effect this year. This drastic application reduction spurred major concern for Justine Blincoe, policy director of Richmond's Fit4Kids. She said her organization has had a great relationship with DPW over years but the cap on grant applications they can submit threatens it. 'Because the city of Richmond is kind of earmarking one of the project submissions for us each year, if they were limited to doing five project submissions versus two times that amount, it would really limit their opportunity to be able to apply for other higher cost projects,' she said. Blincoe said if you compare the cost of a big paving project to how much money Safe Routes to School needs to operate, for example, it's possible the youth biking programs will be left out. 'It just really kind of puts into perspective that they could be losing out on opportunities to apply for something that's higher cost. And it really kind of disincentivizes localities to partner with a Safe Routes to School program to be able to do this,' Blincoe said. Because of the uncertainty of being left out of funding, Stewart met with representatives from Richmond Public Schools on May 13. 'I'm meeting with RPS to ask them to be the applicant instead of DPW,' she said to Virginia Mercury in an email ahead of the discussion. 'I feel very uneasy asking DPW to forgo a much more expensive project for a VERY low reimbursement rate for SRTS.' The day after that meeting, Stewart said RPS agreed to be the lead applicant in future applications. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Bike Fest rolls into Wexford with Gardaí escorting up to 50 cyclists
Organised by the Gorey Pedestrian & Cycling Association in conjunction with Wexford County Council, the event marked the start of Bike Week in County Wexford. Speaking after the event, the Council's recently-appointed Cycling and Walking Officer, Clinton Donovan said, 'it was fantastic to see the children cycling safely as a group around the streets and hopefully it will help show that cycling can be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere, even in a town centre environment'. Mr Donovan also paid tribute to the understanding of motorists in town that morning, saying that everyone appreciated the spirit of the event which contributed to the enjoyment of both the cyclists and spectators along the route. There was something for everyone with face painting, balance bikes and games, slow bike races and e-bike demos. However, the highlight of the morning was the slow-roll cycle into the town centre and back. Escorted by the blue lights of the Gorey Gardaí, around 50 cyclists of all ages and abilities completed the 2.5km loop back to the park. The cyclists worked up a thirst which was quenched with refreshments from the Coffee Pod Café. With recent developments such as the Safe Routes to School, the Traffic Calming Scheme, and segregated cycle lanes, Gorey Pedestrian and Cycling Association are hopeful that the momentum towards safe active travel will continue in Gorey.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Connecticut celebrating National Bike Month
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is celebrating National Bike Month this May by encouraging residents to go for a ride. CTDOT is participating in National Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day on Wednesday, May 7. CTDOT is also participating in Bike to Work Week from May 11 to 17, with various activities planned. Connecticut wants you to drive less. Here's why State leaders said many communities participating in the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program have shown improved safety and accessibility for all students since its inception in 2005. A few updates from the SRTS team include: Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day incentives that registered schools can request online. SRTS expanded their bike and pedestrian safety and skills trainings to include an on-bike component. Communities and schools can request these services online. An interactive online map highlights all SRTS activities across the state Those riding bikes are also encouraged to participate in the 2025 Drive Less Connecticut Challenge through May 31. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Wicklow parents' school safety fears heard by transport authority
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme launched in March 2021 and is an initiative of the Department of Transport and the Department of Education to encourage as many students as possible to walk or cycle to local schools, while also improving 'front of school' areas, which will enhance access to school grounds and create a safe space for students at the front of their school. In the lower Vevay Road area of Bray there are three primary schools in close proximity to each other which have raised concerns for parents' associations, community gardai and principals who have been looking for enhanced safety measures for road and footpath users, as well as cyclists. St Patrick's Loreto NS, Scoil Ui Cheadaigh and St Cronan's Boys NS are a stone's throw from each other and each morning the roads and footpaths are congested, cars mount pavements or stop in the middle of the road for children to disembark and, one side of the road that leads into Main Street, the path is only wide enough for one adult. A child could not walk alongside an adult on the path. Recently, Wicklow Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore raised the grievances of parents and schools with the NTA, asking specifically about the implementation of the SRTS programme, while also looking at some of the nitty gritty stuff, such as a new bus stop (8278) which was installed and is impeding the front area of one school. An old shelter, at stop 4150, was also pinpointed as an obstruction and a blind-spot for path users approaching the lollipop person at the crossing spot. In its response to Deputy Whitmore, the NTA has appeared to dash at least some of the hopes as the schools in question did not apply for the SRTS programme within the required time frame. 'In 2021 all schools across the state were invited to apply to the SRTS programme, and a total of 933 applications were received from every county, including 25 from the Wicklow County Council area,' it said. 'The schools in question, St Patrick's Loreto NS, Scoil Ui Cheadaigh and St Cronan's Boys NS , did not apply for the SRTS programme at that time. The NTA understands that many schools faced significant challenges in 2021 due to Covid-19 and may have missed the opportunity to apply, and we empathise with any sense of having missed out. 'However, it is important to note that many schools benefit from NTA-funded active travel projects beyond the SRTS programme and the NTA will recommend school zone features be included in any active travel scheme on Vevay Road. 'In relation to an active travel scheme on Vevay Road, Wicklow Council undertook optioneering and preliminary consultation with some key stakeholders including business owners, over the course of 2020-2022. A draft preliminary design has been prepared but there are still several key constraints that pose challenge to securing planning support. The main constraints are insufficient road width, land acquisition requirements, removal of carparking, changes in traffic movements and subsequent local buy in,' it continued. 'Notwithstanding the challenges, Wicklow County Council would like to progress this project soon once funding and resources are more available following completion of the Bray Dart Interchange project. The NTA support this intention and are open to receiving an application for funding for the scheme. ADVERTISEMENT 'On the 8728 [bus stop] query, any request for 'slow school ahead' type road marking is outside the remit of the NTA and would be best directed to the council as the roads authority. 'On the removal of the shelter (at 4150), the NTA generally receives considerable complaints when bus shelters are removed not replaced, as it represents a disimprovement for passengers who use public transport. 'While it is not immediately evident that the existing shelter location does interfere with visibility of the school warden crossing 34m away, there may merit in removing the existing shelter and reinstating a new shelter. 'The NTA will raise the matter with Wicklow County Council who may wish to include for a shelter replacement in their Vevay Road active travel scheme,' it concluded.
