Transportation Alternatives Middletown

A sad piece of data that points to the costs of suburbanization and the cost to children's health: "The percentage of children who walk or ride bikes has plummeted from 50 percent in 1969 to 15 percent in 2001, according to federal studies."

A pilot program started in Marin County, north of San Francisco, in 2000, where at the time, surveys showed that 21 percent of children at nine schools surveyed either walked or rode their bikes to school. Two years later, that number was 38 percent, said Deb Hubsmith, the national director of the program.

Transportation Alternatives Middletown is interested in working on the newly announced Walk to school day, and want to ensure that the Middletown and its schools participate. Let us know if you want to help us work on this issue.

Just announced was the walk to school event on Oct 3 under the auspices of Safe Routes to School.
This is Connecticut's own Safe Routes to School site hosted by Connecticut's DOT
This is the National Center for Safe Routes to School
This is The US DOT's Site (that mandated by law the SRTS)
This is The Connecticut DOT's announcement for 2007 solicitations for SRTS projects: (they have been awarded for a few years now)

The objective of this federally funded initiative is to encourage more students in elementary and middle schools (Grades K-8) to walk and bike to school, as opposed to other transportation alternatives; thereby encouraging a more healthy lifestyle.

Eligible applicants are any state, local, and regional agencies or any political subdivision (school boards, school districts, etc.). Non-profit organizations can apply through a political subdivision.
Eligible infrastructure projects for the Safe Routes to School funding includes projects, such as sidewalks and crosswalks, which provides safety for and/or encourages biking and walking within 2 miles of primary and middle schools.
As part of the application process, eligible schools are required to have a preexisting documented SRTS plan.
The project selection process will be driven by the following elements referred to as the five E's, included in the SRTS plan:
Engineering-identifying operational and physical improvements to the infrastructure surrounding schools that reduce speeds and potential conflicts with motor vehicle traffic, and establish safer and fully accessible crosswalks, walkways, and bikeways.
Education-teaching children about the broad range of transportation choices, instructing them in important lifelong bicycling and walking safety skills, and launching driver safety campaigns in the vicinity of schools.
Enforcement-partnering with local law enforcement agencies to ensure traffic laws are obeyed in the vicinity of schools (including enforcement of speeds, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, and proper walking and bicycling behaviors and practices).
Encouragement-events and activities to promote walking and bicycling (bike rodeos, walk to school days, etc.).
Evaluation-monitoring and documenting outcomes and trends through the collection of data both before and after the intervention.
Application and guidelines are available on the SRTS or through your respective Regional Planning Organization. Applications are due to Regional Planning Organizations by the end of May 2007.
For more information, please contact the Department's Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Ms. Sharon Okoye, at (860) 594-2367 or by e-mail
at sharon.okoye@po.state.ct.us.