FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chagrin Falls Granted $577,000 in Funding from ODOT for Safe Routes to School
~ Funded Projects will Enhance Appeal of Walking and Bicycling to School ~
Chagrin Falls, April 12, 2010 – The Ohio Department of Transportation has awarded funding of up to $577,000 to the Safe Routes to School program in Chagrin Falls for specific projects to enhance safe walking and bicycling. The $11 million in federal transportation funds to be invested this year represents the most ODOT has provided through its Safe Routes program since it began in 2004. Chagrin Falls is one of 41 communities across the state to receive funds and ranks as the third highest recipient of funds, trailing just behind the City of Columbus and the City of Lancaster. Projects planned by SRTS-Chagrin Falls include new sidewalks and paths in the vicinity of the schools, a pilot crossing guard program, increased visibility of school zones and promotion of safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers through educational programs, contests and materials.
“Chagrin Falls is already well-regarded as a walking community, with a variety of shops and businesses within walking distance of homes and an attractive downtown district, and this funding allows for us to build on that strength by making it more appealing for kids to walk and bike to school,” said Mayor Thomas Brick.
“The SRTS Team is very pleased that ODOT has approved funding for nearly all of the projects we proposed in our School Travel Plan. A lot of research and creative problem-solving went into the development of our projects and the fact that ODOT is funding them is a credit to all the solid groundwork laid by our Team,” said Kathryn Garvey, SRTS-Chagrin Falls team leader. “That said there are still quite a few details to be worked out before we can be assured that our projects will go forward. For example, a final project scope agreement needs to be established with ODOT. The scope agreement will determine the final amount of funding and when these funds will be available. ”
The Safe Routes to School program in Chagrin Falls was launched by a group of parents who wanted to support the kids who enjoy walking and biking to school by making it safer and more acceptable for them to do so. A comprehensive analysis, called a School Travel Plan (STP), was completed by the Chagrin Falls Safe Routes to School team and submitted to ODOT last year. The study was based on input from over 300 parents, students, law enforcement officers, Village and school representatives, community members and traffic engineers. According to the STP, over 82% of all parents responding to a survey indicated that improvements need to be made to the walking environment for students in Chagrin Falls. The study found that about 17% or 130 students in Chagrin Falls walk to/from school on average in good weather. Of those who live close enough but do not walk, 54% would like to be able to walk to school. The STP unearthed the barriers preventing those students from walking and biking to school and proposed specific solutions.
