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Save the
Date!
Are you looking for
ways to make walking and bicycling to
school safer, more fun, and more
convenient? Join us on Thursday, March 19,
2009 at 10 am in a net conference to
explore: "Using Walking and Wheeling Across
America to Strengthen Safe Routes
Efforts." - FIND
OUT MORE
BELOW!
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Welcome to the Safe Routes to School
newsletter!
The Massachusetts Safe Routes
to School (SRTS) program promotes healthy
alternatives for children and parents in their
travel to and from school. The SRTS program aims
to reduce congestion, air pollution, and traffic
conflicts near participating schools, while
increasing the health and mobility of
school-aged children. Massachusetts Safe Routes
to School, a program of MassRIDES, is a
service of the Massachusetts Executive Office of
Transportation and supported by the Federal
Highway Administration.
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Schools Recognized for
Safe Routes to School Achievements
The Massachusetts Safe Routes to School
program recognized five schools/communities for
their achievements encouraging students to walk
and bicycle to school at its Forum held in
Marlborough, MA on November 6, 2008. The
Forum provides an annual opportunity for current
and interested partner schools, principals,
parents, and stakeholders to share successes and
challenges while learning about Safe Routes best
practices, community initiatives, and
infrastructure improvements. This year,
the 85 Forum attendees joined MassRIDES and the
Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) in
celebrating the successes of these five
schools/communities in an awards
ceremony.
Award recipients
included:
- F.L. Olmsted
School in Easton as "Rookie of the Year" for
outstanding initial efforts
- City of
Marlborough, on behalf of all its elementary and
middle schools, for "Community Collaboration for
Safe Routes Success"
- Pamela
Angelakis, Stanley School Principal in
Swampscott, as "Outstanding Safe Routes
Champion"
- Parker
Middle School in Reading for "Innovation in Safe
Routes Programs"
- Central
Elementary School in Stoneham for "Outstanding
Safe Routes Leadership"
James Cope of EOT
Planning presented the awards in recognition of
the recipients' contributions to improving
health, safety, and environment through Safe
Routes programming for school age children in
communities around the Commonwealth.
Above, on
behalf of Easton's F.L. Olmsted School,
Principal Gary Mazzola accepts the Massachusetts
Safe Routes to School award for "Rookie of the
Year."
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Improving the Built
Environment
 The Massachusetts Safe
Routes to School program continues its
innovative infrastructure program to provide
direct engineering support for improvements to
sidewalks and other infrastructure surrounding
partner schools. Twenty-three schools in
23 municipalities across the state have been
chosen to receive infrastructure assessments,
with 17 additional schools slated for selection
this spring. Schools receive a plan
showing recommended improvements ranging from
signs and pavement markings to sidewalk repairs
or intersection improvements that enhance safety
for school pedestrian and bicycle access.
Many of the schools that receive an assessment
will also be eligible for a 100 percent
federally funded infrastructure project.
The firm of TEC, Inc.
is facilitating the Safe Routes to School
infrastructure component for the Executive
Office of Transportation. The team of school
engineers, planners and bicycle/pedestrian
experts will plan, design, and construct
improvements following the school site
assessments. This approach will shorten the time
to project implementation, resulting in a
cost-effective solution delivering
infrastructure enhancements to more schools and
communities with available funds.
Once a MassRIDES partner
school has worked on Safe Routes initiatives for
a year, they can request a no-cost assessment of
walking and bicycling routes within one mile of
the school. To ensure that the program is
comprehensive and sustainable, MassRIDES partner
schools are required to plan and incorporate the
Safe Routes to School elements of education,
encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation
before they become eligible for infrastructure
projects specifically targeted to enhancing safe
access to schools. Selected schools will
serve diverse socio-economic communities, in
urban/suburban/rural environments statewide, all
committed to implementing ongoing Safe Routes to
School initiatives.
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International
Movement
More than 85
Massachusetts Safe Routes partner schools
celebrated International Walk to School Day
(IWSTD) on October 8, 2008, along with schools
in all 50 U.S. states and 40 countries around
the world. Some schools expanded their
initiatives to include a week or even a month of
special activities.
Jordan/Jackson
Elementary School in Mansfield used
International Walk to School Day to kick-off its
SRTS program. After an all-school assembly
energized students, over 300 students walked or
bicycled to school that day. School staff
greeted students with reflective bracelets and
music playing on outdoor speakers. The
school continued to encourage active
transportation with Walking Wednesdays for the
next six weeks.
The Partnership for a
Walkable America established International Walk
to School Day in the U.S. in 1997. Today, more
than 6,500 schools in the U.S. participate in
IWTSD.
MARK
YOUR CALENDARS! May 6, 2009
is Massachusetts Walk to School Day.
Massachusetts SRTS partner schools join that day
to encourage walking and bicycling.
Contact MassRIDES for help
in organizing an
event.
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Walking in a Winter
Wonderland
 The winter months pose
challenges for maintaining a successful Safe
Routes program. With cold weather and sometimes
unfavorable conditions, it takes some creativity
to promote walking and bicycling.
Needham's Newman
Elementary School encourages walking and
bicycling year round by holding monthly events
even in the coldest months. Organizers
publicized the December Holiday Stroll and Roll
with PA announcements by fifth graders, school
newsletter articles, and enticing emails
advertising mystery walkers. Mystery
Walkers Principal Barbara Collins and Vice
Principal Mark McAneny showed their support
of the effort by arriving before school to greet
participants. Joining them, several parent
volunteers walked with students and served hot
chocolate to warm walkers/cyclists who brought
their own mugs reinforcing the school's green
theme. After a November Turkey Trot
attracted 67 participants, the 200 students that
joined the Holiday Stroll and Roll caught
volunteers by surprise. The turnout was so
much greater than anticipated that they ran out
of hot water!
In Newman's January
Snowman Strut, walkers/cyclists participated in
a snowflake drawing competition with their
efforts adorning the cafeteria windows.
Newman will hold a Polar Bear Walk in February,
a March of the Penguins, and an Earth Day themed
event in April.
"The walks are a great
way to entice students," according to Newman
parent Laure Nawrocki. "The walks have
attracted new students who don't normally walk
or bicycle to school while reinforcing the
positive elements for those who do walk and
bicycle on a regular
basis."
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SAVE THE DATE
(cont'd)
Join us on Thursday,
March 19, 2009 at 10 am in a net
conference to explore: "Using Walking and
Wheeling Across America to Strengthen Safe
Routes Efforts."
Communities are
finding that walking and wheeling across America
programs motivate students to get on their feet
and bicycles more. Students track and map
their miles walking or bicyling, "visiting"
locations across the country as they
progress.
This 60-minute net
conference will highlight MassRIDES' partner
school experiences and feature lessons learned.
In a net conference, participants hear the audio
via a toll-free phone call while simultaneously
viewing the presentation on their computer via
the Internet. Net conferences are free and
designed to educate participants about Safe
Routes to School program elements - all without
the need to travel. They provide an opportunity
to share best practices with other partner
schools and allow for an accessible and
informative opportunity to participate in
discussion with all participants.
If you'd like more
information, please speak with your Safe Routes
to School Coordinator or call us at
1.888.4COMMUTE.
To
register, please email Courtney Croteau at:
courtney.croteau@state.ma.us -- we will reply with
details for logging on and dialing in to the
program.
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