The Arizona Department of Transportation recently allocated $3.5 million in grant funding for Safe Routes to School projects for schools and communities. The funding will be broken down into infrastructure elements: $2.8 million will go toward the construction of sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, signage and striping; and about $720,000 will go toward non-infrastructure elements-bike helmets for students, safety education and law enforcement, with a goal of getting kids to think about alternative and active ways to transport themselves to school.
The federal Safe Routes to School program was created by the U.S. Congress in 2005 as a response to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes. For more information on ADOT’s Safe Routes to School program or to get started on a grant application, visit www.azdot.gov/SRTS.
• Contact writer: (480) 898-4903 or troemhild@ahwatukee.com
