Making the walk to school safer for our kids
(We received more Safe Routes to School grant funding!)
In just one generation, the number of children that walk to school has dropped from 70 percent to less than 15 percent. Children are less physically active than they used to be, their health is declining, and traffic congestion is increasing around schools leading to unsafe conditions and poorer air quality. In an effort to address these troubling statistics, the Federal Highway Administration has created the Safe Routes to School Program. The program provides funding for activities that improve safety and encourage kids to walk or bike to school. For an interactive map of streets and other features of Bartlesville go to GIS City Maps.
In 2010, the City of Bartlesville received a $200,000 grant through this program to construct over 5,800 linear feet of sidewalk to fill in gaps and extend sidewalks at area elementary schools. The City also conducted safety programs, held a training for crossing guards, organized Walk to School Day events, conducted a community-wide bicycle rodeo, and promoted walking school buses.
In 2011, the City applied for more grant funding, and in January 2015, we were notified that our Hoover-Madison application was approved.
Select the links below to read more about what we’ve been doing to make our kids safer: