(Photo © Jonathan Maus)
Eleven Portland-area elementary schools have received grants from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to improve and sustain their Safe Routes to Schools programs.
The schools (see list below) have received a total of nearly $600,000 from the federally funded program that works to make it easier and safer for kids to walk and bike to school.
The grant consists of two separate awards; a $100,000 non-infrastructure grant that will go toward hiring “site organizers”, and $500,000 for capital improvements (these might include improved sidewalks, pedestrian refuge islands, bike parking, etc…).
25 Portland schools currently participate in the Safe Routes program which is funded through PDOT’s Community and Schools Traffic Safety Partnership (CSTSP) and implemented by both PDOT and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).
A media event to announce the grants is planned later this month at Kelly Elementary School in Southeast Portland.
Along with Kelly, the other ten elementary schools that will benefit from the grant are Atkinson, Capitol Hill, Chapman, Chief Joseph, Faubion, Forest Park, Gilbert Heights, Rosa Parks, Sacramento and Sunnyside.
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Thanks for posting this, Jonathan. The BTA Site Organizers are very excited to continue what has proven to be highly effective, necessary work for the 11 schools and their surrounding communities.
I would like to encourage all your readers to volunteer at any of these schools (or others in the Safer Routes to School program). Whether you come out for a community ride during Bike Safety Education season (starts in April!), lead a Walking School Bus any time during the year or even just walk or bike with your own children to school, there\’s always plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Thank you to ODOT for awarding the grant funds and to PDOT for calling on us to get the job done!
So much for my kid’s SE school on 72nd of Flavel ST; they have the same bike rack parking that was put in when the school was built! And I tried to talk to the School; they said that there is not money for bike parking, what’s with that?
MY child has to use two U-locks just too keep the bike safe.
This is great news. I sure hope the safe and sound streets passes so that more/all PPS students can benefit from this great program.