August 2012

In January of 2012, Tennessee announced Safe Routes to School funding totaling $1.6 for ten municipalities in Tennessee. The majority of the funds will be used for schools to improve sidewalks, crosswalks and signs.  Many of the grant recipients will install flashing beacons and traffic control devices to allow for a safe environment around the schools.  Funds will be used to provide educational programs focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety and promotional activities to encourage walking and bicycling as a safe and healthy alternative.

School is in session, and getting students to and from home in a safe, timely manner is essential to a healthy learning environment. Students grow, learn and eventually graduate from one school to another. In Gahanna, Ohio the students are growing and maturing, as is the Safe Routes to School program.

THE TREE TRUNK

By now, you’ve likely heard that the new transportation bill, MAP-21, consolidated bicycling and walking programs into a new program called Transportation Alternatives, and that overall funding was cut by approximately 30 percent. However, the details vary quite a bit state by state.