[Archived] City of Alexandria, Alexandria City Public Schools Announce Major Effort to Promote Safe Routes to School

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	June 13, 2007 PIO# 153-07/sjm	Steve Mason, Director of Communications, at 703.838.4300

City of Alexandria, Alexandria City Public Schools Announce Major
Effort to Promote Safe Routes to School
VDOT funded grant program will encourage children in K-8 schools to walk, bicycle

The City of Alexandria has announced a major initiative to encourage creation of more opportunities for Alexandria children in grades K-8 to safely walk or bicycle to school.

The City and Alexandria City Public Schools will receive over $517,000 in “Safe Routes to School” grant funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation. The funds will be directed toward education, encouragement and engineering improvements at Alexandria elementary and middle schools.

Encouraging provision of Safe Routes to School was a key recommendation of the Community Pathways resolution adopted by City Council in February 2006. The Alexandria Health Department conducted a Safe Routes to School assessment in 2003 to lay the groundwork for the current program.

“City Council and the School Board are strongly committed to encouraging walking and bicycling and improving safety for Alexandria children,” said Mayor Bill Euille. “The Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria has also identified healthy lifestyles – including physical activity – as a priority area of focus. Safe Routes to School programs will help provide opportunities for children to live active lifestyles in addition to reducing traffic and vehicle emissions around our schools.”

The statewide Safe Routes to School program is funded with $13 million in federal funds through 2009. Alexandria’s program is entirely grant funded and requires no city matching funds.

Initial funding for education and encouragement programs will go to five schools: Francis C. Hammond Middle School as well as Jefferson-Houston, Charles Barrett, James K. Polk, and George Mason elementary schools.

The City will also use a portion of the funds to complete the following projects:

� Pedestrian safety and intersection improvements at Charles Barrett, Polk, George Mason and Cora Kelly
� Installation of new pedestrian countdown timers at 15 intersections near schools at locations citywide
� Installation of new bicycle parking racks at schools citywide

For more information about the Safe Routes to School program, contact Yon Lambert, Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Coordinator, Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, at (703) 838-4966 x. 183 or email yon.lambert@alexandriava.gov.

For more information about Pedestrian and Bicycle Programs, visit www.AlexRide.org.

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