MOUNT VERNON — As childhood obesity continues to be a national concern and lawmakers are mandating school wellness and physical activity policies, the number of children walking to school or riding their bicycles has decreased from about 50 percent of all school children in 1969 to about 15 percent in 2006. Increased traffic and fewer designated areas to walk or bike, along with parents’ concerns for their children’s safety, have contributed to that downward trend. A new program announced this summer by the Ohio Department of Transportation should help reduce the traffic congestion around schools and increase safety.
According to ODOT director Gordon Proctor, the program, called Safe Routes to Schools, is the first of its kind in Ohio. The program, he said, can help children once again become more active and independent. The purposes of the program are: To enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school; to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age by making bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative; and to facilitate the planning, development and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce and calm traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools. Traffic-calming projects, designed to slow the speed of traffic and increase driver awareness, may include things such as speed bumps, paved crosswalks, rumble strips and curb extensions.
In addition to infrastructure improvement projects such as sidewalks, pedestrian and bike paths, crosswalks and bike racks, ODOT has added an educational, health and encouragement element to the program — a collaborative effort between ODOT and representatives from public health, trails, parks, law enforcement, education and the public.
The program is 100 percent federally funded through the Federal Highway Administration, and funds will be awarded through an application process expected to begin by January. Expected applicants are state, local and regional agencies including nonprofit organizations. Julie Walcott of the ODOT central office said that while schools must partner with municipalities for infrastructure projects such as sidewalks, they will be able to apply by themselves for encouragement, educational or enforcement programs. If it can be demonstrated that developing or expanding parent dropoff routes will make it safer and more desirable for children to walk or ride their bikes to school, ODOT will also consider funding such a project. She said grant criteria are based on demonstrated need and an effort will be made to assure smaller communities have access to the funds — approximately $19 million over the next four years.
Danville police chief Monte Vance had no trouble prioritizing his wish list. He would like to see sidewalks constructed from the bike path to the elementary school and expanded along Richard and Rambo streets.
“With the buses and walkers all leaving at the same time after school,” he said, “sidewalks would be a great help. Right now is kind of like the buses vs. the kids.”
Randy Bradford, director of transportation for Mount Vernon City Schools, wouldn’t mind having extra funds for more bike racks and bicycle safety programs. He would also like to see sidewalks in the Johnson Avenue area near Columbia Elementary, and along Mount Vernon Avenue to the high school and middle school.
Connectors from the bike trail to Phillips Park and to the middle school and high school would also be welcome, Bradford said.