WRHF Grant Supports Safe School Routes, Exercise - CFMV

The Western Reserve Health Foundation is playing a key role in a multi-year effort to make it easier – and safer — for Youngstown students to walk or ride their bicycles to school.

A recent $30,000 grant from the WRHF enabled the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. to hire a coordinator for its Safe Routes to School program, an educational effort backed by more than $500,000 of investments in wider sidewalks, bike racks, signage and flashing lights near three city schools.

The Safe Routes program began in 2014 at Taft Elementary School with bicycle and pedestrian safety demonstrations, bike helmet giveaways and an educational program to encourage walking and bicycling. More than 400 helmets have been donated to the effort, said Tom Hetrick, YNDC neighborhood planner.

In addition, the Ohio Department of Transportation has approved $200,000 for infrastructure improvements at Taft, including sidewalk widening, bike rack installation, flashing lights and signage. Hetrick expects the work to be completed in the summer of 2017.

ODOT has approved another $315,000 for the same improvements at the city’s McGuffey and Williamson elementary schools, with work scheduled to be completed in 2019.

“The (WRHF) money supplements the salary so the coordinator can conduct other activities in connection with Safe Routes, and raise funds for bike helmets and fitness bracelets,” Hetrick said. “The funding will help the coordinator continue safety education throughout the city school district, which the Ohio Department of Transportation requires.”

ODOT has added $30,000 to assist the coordinator with safety education outreach.

YNDC projects nearly 14,000 people will benefit from the Safe Routes program. Hetrick said the funding enables the coordinator to conduct safety educational programs throughout the school district.

“It all starts with the coordinator,” he said. “We want to make sure the kids have a safe environment and that includes good behaviors we encourage with our safety demonstrations and giveaways.”

To read the full story from CFMV, click here.