Waitsfield Elementary School Safe Routes to School Update
Speed, traffic volume, lack of sidewalks in Waitsfield prevent children from safely walking or biking to school
After receiving a grant in 2009, Waitsfield Elementary School (“WES”) and a team of concerned parents and teachers have been busy providing safety education in Health and Phys Ed class and encouraging students to walk or ride a bike to school whenever they can. The team started by taking a survey of school families to understand the barriers that children face in trying to safely walk or bike to school.
The WES Safe Routes to School team learned though parent surveys that, although the majority (nearly 80%) of WES students live within two miles of school, (generally considered to be within walking/biking distance), over 50% of students are driven to school. Results of the survey showed that parents are most concerned about the speed and volume of traffic along roadways (the school is located on route 100), as well as lack of safety at intersections, lack of pathways to cut down on distance, and lack of sidewalks. Despite these barriers, before the WES Safe Routes to School program was launched, up to 15% of children were walking or biking to or from school. (50 years ago that number was closer to 70%.)
During the October walk to school week, trained volunteers provided additional safety for children, including help with crossing the street, staying to the side of the road where sidewalks are absent, and negotiating difficult intersections. WES counted numbers of children who walked and rode, and the team collected feedback from students, teachers and parents to measure the success of the week and to plan for improvements in the future. What they found was that, on average 44% of children walked or rode during the challenge week, a 29% increase in students who normally would walk or bike to school. Teachers also reported an additional benefit: children arrived at school more energized and ready to learn!
Waitsfield to Apply for Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Grant in May
Since last fall, Going Green, a consulting firm specializing in promoting biking and walking, was hired to help write a school travel plan. Several meetings were held with members of the community, VTrans, and the Waitsfield Selectboard. The school travel plan is now ready: It summarizes all WES Safe Routes to School initiatives, data collected, and key improvements to infrastructure that would help make the walk or ride to school safer for WES students. WES Safe Routes to School, through the Town of Waitsfield, is now eligible to apply for infrastructure grant funds, administered by VTrans. These grants provide 100% federal funds to key improvements identified in the School Travel Plan, such as radar feedback signs on route 100 to help slow drivers, a crosswalk across Route 100 at Old County Road, and a sidewalk at the Mad River Valley Health Center. No local match is required.
WES Safe Routes to School sponsors “Walking Wednesdays” starting April 28th (week after April vacation)
As part of the ongoing effort to promote safe walking and biking to school, WES Safe Routes to School will be sponsoring “Walking Wednesdays” beginning April 28th. Students (and parents of younger children) are encouraged to walk or bike to school on each Wednesday from April 28th until the end of the school year. The purpose of Walking Wednesdays will be not only to promote safety, health, wellness and community but also to continue to collect numbers of children who walk or ride, demonstrating increases due to all of the education and encouragement efforts of the previous six months.
New this spring will be crossing guards in front of the Mad River Valley Health Center in order to help children safely cross route 100 to and from Old County Road. Parent volunteers have been trained and will be given special crossing guard vests and signs in order to provide safe crossing for children. Crossing guards will be there from 7:20 am until 7:40 am each Wednesday morning.
Waitsfield students who walk or ride a bike to school on Wednesday will find themselves arriving to school more energized and ready to learn, according to feedback from their teachers during the Waitsfield Walk to School Week last fall. WES Safe Routes to School will also make efforts to connect pockets of schoolchildren who live near each other to walk or ride together to school, increasing community connections.
Taking the school bus is an important option for children arriving safely at school. For those who live too far away from school to walk or bike, the bus is an important option to reduce traffic at the school and to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. Children who currently ride the bus to school are encouraged to continue, or may join other walking groups. Carpooling is also strongly encouraged.
Look for More WES Safe Routes to School Activities in May
Further WES Safe Routes to School sponsored activities are planned for
May, including a bike festival focusing on safety, courtesy and fun (May 15th) and another weeklong walk and bike to school week (week of May 17th).
For more information about the WES Safe Routes to School efforts, or to receive a copy of the WES Travel Plan, please contact Helen Kellogg, telephone 496-9897.