Ohio Department of Transportation awards $289,000 to make it safer for Cleveland kids to walk to school

Department of Public Health receives Safe Routes to School grant

CLEVELAND, OH— Walking or biking to and from school will soon be a safer, healthier activity for Cleveland students, thanks to a grant awarded to the Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH) from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The $289,000 award is part of more than $4 million in federal dollars ODOT is investing in 87 Ohio communities through its Safe Routes to School program.

Safe Routes to School funding will improve safety for students traveling to and from three target Cleveland schools: Stockyards Community School, Louisa May Alcott Elementary and Willow Elementary. More than 130 pedestrian and bicycle crashes involving children were reported near these three schools between 2001-2005, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Integrated Traffic Records System.

The Cleveland Safe Routes to School program is one of only 15 infrastructure projects funded in the state. The funding will support $250,000 in physical improvements to students’ walking and biking environment, including installing countdown pedestrian crossing signals and constructing American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps within a two-mile radius of each of the identified schools. The remaining $39,000 will support bicycle safety education programs for students at these schools, as well more aggressive traffic safety enforcement.

“Safe, walkable neighborhoods are signs of a thriving, active community. Ensuring that our children can walk and bike to school safely offers so many important benefits—from reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality around schools to promoting physical activity and community involvement,” explained Matt Carroll, Director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health. “We are most thankful for the opportunity to make these important changes on the streets and sidewalks of Cleveland.”

Forty years ago, more than half of students nationwide walked or bicycled to school. However, national statistics today show that fewer than 15% of all school trips are made by walking or biking, according to ODOT.

CDPH’s Safe Routes to School program was launched in 2004 and is currently part of the department’s Steps to a Healthier Cleveland initiative. The ODOT grant will complement ongoing Safe Routes to School activities such as conducting walkability audits, providing student and parent education, and forming Safe Routes parent-teacher task forces. The Cleveland Safe Routes to School program represents a successful collaboration between the City’s departments of Public Health, Public Service and Public Safety, as well as the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and other local schools.

For more information about Cleveland Safe Routes to School, contact Meghan Estes at (216) 664-3055. For more information about ODOT’s Safe Routes to School program and funding, visit http://www.dot.state.oh.us/SafeRoutes/.

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