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Maine Safe Routes to School Program Safe Routes to School is a federal, state, and local effort to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school; and to make walking and bicycling to school safe and more appealing. A major goal of the program is to increase bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety. Maine Walk and Bike to School Program Safe Routes to School is a federal, state, and local effort to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school; and to make walking and bicycling to school safe and more appealing. A major goal of the program is to increase bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety. Maine Walk & Bike to Anchor Events! May and October
Every spring and fall for the past few years, Maine schools and communities join together to promote the social and healthy benefits of walking and wheeling to school during the May Walk and Bike to School week. We encourage you to think about how your school and community will celebrate this week. Start a Walking School Bus where parents, teachers and students meet at a designated location or drop off and all walk safely together to the school. Another variation is to coordinate a starting point and pick up students and interested parents along the way. Another option is a Bicycle Train where parents ride at the front and rear of a line of children who are all on bikes. These are great ways to celebrate the week and get kids excited about walking and/or wheeling to and from school. We can help your team come up with ideas and ways to hold successful events and start a Walk & Bike to School Program. Please let us know if you plan on hosting an event and we can supply information and literature including event posters and our Walking School Bus sign. Over 90 schools currently participate. Lets see if we can increase that number!! Desired Outcomes of the Safe Routes to School Program include: The goal of the Safe Routes Program is to combine infrastructure improvements along with education and encouragement activities. Some examples follow:
Infrastructure Project Examples: Eligible activities are the planning, design, and construction of projects that will substantially improve the ability of students to walk and bicycle to school. These include sidewalk improvements, traffic calming and speed reduction improvements, pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements, on-street bicycle facilities, off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities, secure bike parking, and traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of K through 8 grade schools (including private schools). Such projects may be carried out on any public road or any bicycle or pedestrian pathway or trail within 2 miles schools. Education & Encouragement Program:
Increase bicycling and walking safety behavior of schoolchildren through bicycle and pedestrian safety education programs.Work with communities on the identification of existing Safe Routes to School opportunities and the improvements needed (Walk ability / Bike ability Audits). Maine’s Second Walk and Bike to School Conference and TrainingOn March 27, 2007, over 70 people from throughout the state attended the second statewide Walk and Bike to School Conference and Training. The day of learning and idea exchange was hosted by the MaineDOT and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.
Recent Safe Routes to School Program Successes:
For more information contact: Quality Community Program The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is pleased to announce its new Quality Community Program, a new name for existing programs you are probably already familiar with, such as Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, Small Harbor Improvement Program, and various other community programs. The Department has consolidated the former individual applications into a “common” Quality Community Program application to improve overall program and project delivery, as well as to simplify application processes. MaineDOT’s Quality Community Program includes federal and state funding opportunities to improve the quality community environment in Maine. This competitive program is intended to improve community transportation related facilities through small harbor improvements, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, safety improvements, environmental improvements, scenic, historic, and other quality community improvements. The application is due Friday, June 6th, 2008 to compete for funding available in fiscal years 2010-2011.
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This program is designed to build awareness statewide of the benefits (economic, health, environmental, social) of increased walking and biking to school. Involving communities and schoolchildren in walking and biking to school activities throughout the state, not limited to communities who receive infrastructure grants (i.e. even those who apply but do not receive infrastructure money will be encouraged to build a local Safe Routes to School program).
