State of Tennessee Announces $4 Million in Safe Routes to School Grants
Nashville, Tenn. - As part of Governor Phil Bredesen’s continued commitment to promoting health and wellness among Tennessee children, the state of Tennessee is announcing $4.4 Million in Safe Routes to School funds to 26 schools across the state. The Safe Routes to School program is a statewide initiative designed to make bicycling and walking to school a safer, more appealing and healthier alternative for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Bredesen has stated his support of the Safe Routes to School program as an opportunity for schools, communities and government officials to work together to promote a healthier lifestyle for children and families.
“Our GetFitTN program encourages children to embark on a healthier lifestyle,” Bredesen said. “The Safe Routes to School program further supports that goal by providing increased safety education, enforcement and infrastructure improvements that will help keep children safer when walking or biking to school.”
The grants are made possible through a federally funded program administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The following schools received Safe Routes To School Grants:
Harris Middle School in Bedford County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/bedford.htm
Sam Houston Elementary School in Blount County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/blount.htm
Blythe-Bower Elementary School in Bradley County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/bradley.htm
Jacksboro Middle School in Campbell County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/campbell.htm
Jellico Elementary School in Campbell County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/campbella.htm
Huntingdon Primary and Huntingdon Middle Schools in Carroll County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/carroll.htm
Pleasant View Elementary School in Cheatham County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/cheatham.htm
Ellen Myers Elementary in Claiborne County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/claiborne.htm
West Middle School in Coffee County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/coffee.htm
Trimble Elementary School in Dyer County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/dyer.htm
The Chattanooga/Hamilton County School District: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/hamilton.htm
Big Ridge Elementary in Chattanooga/Hamilton County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/hamiltona.htm
Beaumont Elementary in Knox County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/knox.htm
South Lawrence Elementary School in Lawrence County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/lawrence.htm
Baker Elementary and Witthorne Middle Schools in Maury County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/maury.htm
Moore Magnet School in Montgomery County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/montgomery.htm
Minglewood Elementary in Montgomery County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/montgomery.htm
Morgan County School District: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/morgan.htm
Linden Elementary and Linden Middle School in Perry County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/perry.htm
Frayser Elementary in Shelby County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/shelby.htm
Highland Oaks Elementary in Shelby County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/shelbya.htm
Fairmount Elementary in Sullivan County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/sullivan.htm
Cherokee Elementary in Washington County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/washington.htm
Greenfield School in Weakley County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/weakley.htm
Heritage Middle and Heritage Elementary Schools in Williamson County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/williamson.htm
Nolensville Elementary School in Williamson County: www.tennessee.gov/tdot/news/2007/saferoutes/williamsona.htm
“The Safe Routes to School program is an innovative program that integrates health, fitness, traffic relief, environmental concerns, and safety all under one umbrella,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “Funds may be used for two different types of projects, infrastructure and non-infrastructure, that directly support increased safety and conveniences for kindergarten through middle school children to walk and bike to school.”
The Safe Routes to School program is funded by $10.7 million in federal dollars through 2009. The money was provided specifically for this purpose through the federal surface transportation program, SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users). Safe Routes to School grants are 100% federally funded and do not require a local match.
The Safe Routes to School program is comprised of five elements referred to at the 5 E’s:
- Engineering-creating operational and physical improvements to the infrastructure surrounding schools that reduce speeds and potential conflicts with motor vehicle traffic, and establishing safer and fully accessible crossings, walkways, trails and bikeways.
- Education-teaching children about the broad range of transportation choices, instructing them in important lifelong bicycling and walking safety skills and launching driver safety campaigns in the vicinity of schools.
- Enforcement-partnering with local law enforcement agencies to ensure traffic laws are obeyed in the vicinity of schools (including enforcement of speeds, yielding to pedestrians in crossings, and proper walking and bicycling behaviors), and to initiate community enforcement such as crossing guard programs.
- Encouragement-events and activities to promote walking and bicycling (bike rodeos).
- Evaluation-monitoring and documenting outcomes and trends through the collection of data both before and after the intervention.
To learn more about the Safe Routes to School Program at the Tennessee Department of Transportation, please visit http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/bikeped/saferoutes.htm or contact Diana Benedict, Program Coordinator, at (615) 253-2421 or diana.benedict@state.tn.us.
# # #