PTA-Safe Routes To School Recap

This PTA group was, as I expected, the best and well received crowd yet. I engaged them with some of my planned ideas as well as a couple videos that I have posted HERE.

It's going to take a coordinated effort of many people to make this happen and I really feel that the PTA will be fully on board supporting this project. After I left the presentation, they voted to donate money to help offset expenses starting the project. I was VERY pleased with this.

It is all coming together, albeit slowly. If there were not these little things called a job, family, and "personal sanity time" this would be a piece of cake!

Next up: Talking with Vermillion PD to get an idea of areas that need safety improvement, places for kids to meet to walk/bike to school, and any other input they have on the project.

Safe Routes To School - PTA Meeting

Continuing my speaking circuit which has included a speech to the school board and discussions with city hall, I will be talking the the local PTA tonight about the benefits of the Safe Routes to School Program tonight. I think this will be by far my most receptive group, but I am well prepared nonetheless.

One thing that stuck with me from Gary Sjoquist's from Bikes Belong speech at the South Dakota Bike Summit was that the more advocacy you do, the less riding you do. That is proving to be quite prophetic as I find my mind thinking about what needs to be done to get others involved with my advocacy efforts and much as I think about riding now.

On another note about Safe Routes to School and overcommitment, I am probably going to be doing a great deal of the writing of the grant. Lord help me there as I've never actually written a grant. I'm hoping to call in some favors helping me out with it. I only have a month or so to accomplish all this!

Safe Routes To School - Phase One Complete

I spoke to the School Board tonight and it went very well. I was a bit nervous as I seen a couple extra people there that made me think I might be walking into a bit of a trap. The bright side was that I went in very prepared and really kept my talking points short but well researched.

Apparently I headed off most questions as there were very few follow up questions. Of course, it helped take off the edge when I volunteered to be the point for the project.

Next phase, talk to the City folks. The School Board would like the City to take the lead in the financial/grant portion. I've already had a few probing calls to the City and they seemed pretty favorable.

The ball is rolling. I'm going to need more and more buy-ins from people/groups, so if you are here in Vermillion and reading this, I'll be needing you. Don't hide. I'll find you. It'll be easier on all of you if you just volunteer.

A Safe Routes To School Dream

If I could fall asleep and dream about what I would like to see from a Safe Routes To School program, it would look like the following video. Notice the wonderful bike lanes and the bike traffic! Also notice the bike racks about about :50 into the video. Brings a tear to my eye.

Safe Routes To School

There will be more posts coming on the Safe Routes to School program as I embark on the challenge of campaigning for and hopefully help in the implementation of the program here in Vermillion. I highly advise you check the program out for your respective communities.

Why am I so passionate about SRTS? The stats say it all. In 1969, approximately 50% of children walked or biked to school, and 87% of children living within one mile of school did. Today, fewer than 15% of schoolchildren walk or bike to school. So it shouldn't be amazing at all that there are more than three times as many overweight children today as there were 25 years ago.

From the traffic standpoint as much as 20 to 30% of morning rush hour traffic can be parents driving children to schools. I truly wouldn't be surprised if that number isn't higher here in Vermillion. The traffic is crazy in the morning. Get closer to our congested schools and it only gets worse.

There are many reasons to be passionate about this program. The thought of making a difference for potentially generations to come definitely tops that list. What are yours?

Take the time to watch both videos. It will help you find your own passion for the program.

Why Safe Routes To School Matter


Safe Routes Promotional Video from the League of American Bicyclists