Montana Safe Routes to School Newsletter

February 2011

Greetings!

All of the applications are officially in for this year's round of SRTS funding projects. Montana SRTS recieved 36 applications $3.24 million in infrastructure and $622 thousand in non-infrastrcutre requests for a combined total $3.87 million. Thank you to those who applied! There are some exciting proposals for this upcoming year. The evaluation committee had held its initial review meeting on February 3rd, 2011.

Please take note of all of the upcoming dates. April will be a great month to reinvigorate and promote your SRTS programs as there are several nationally recognized days that parallel the SRTS goals and mission.

In This Issue

PACE Update

Billings SRTS Update

National SRTS News

PACE Update

Paul Staso and Bob joined in their Trek by students

I want to provide you with an update about P.A.C.E. Trek 2011 - Destination: Mojave Desert. The planning and organization for this particular trek has been challenging, but I'm pleased to say that nearly all of the pieces of this project are in place. My focus now is twofold: Training and Team Registrations. The training is up to me. However, I need YOUR help for getting word of this FREE school opportunity out to teachers.

School teachers can sign up teams here for the 12-school-day event between April 14 - 30, 2011. So far, we have teams signed up from across the U.S.A. as well as from Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. The Mojave Desert challenge is going to be presented at my new "online classroom" and will be shown in a way unlike any other P.A.C.E. run I've done. I'm going to allow everyone to see 'behind the curtain' - so to say. I'll be sharing audios, videos and pictures to truly show what it takes to conquer 500 miles of running in only 17 days through barren conditions all alone. I've spent a lot of time over the past few months going through content that I've shared about my other P.A.C.E. endeavors - those being across America, Germany, Alaska and Montana. Essentially, I haven't been sharing the full story. With P.A.C.E. Trek Mojave, the full story will be shared - the good, bad, dangerous, uncertainty, pitfalls, triumphs, and everything in between. If you've never followed my progress during a P.A.C.E. Trek before, you won't want to miss the journey between April 14 and April 30, 2011.

I'm also pleased to announce that for the first time coordinators of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs across the nation can register teams to participate. In my opinion, SRTS is an excellent opportunity for children and I've spent considerable time to make P.A.C.E. something that SRTS programs can easily include for 12 school days in April. Please understand that the SRTS teams are separate from the school-registered teams (which are K through 12 students participating through P.E. classes or classrooms). School team guidelines for P.A.C.E. Trek 2011 are available here.

Please share information about this free P.A.C.E. Trek challenge with teachers that you know. If you're a parent, share this with your own child's teacher, principal or coach. There is not much time remaining until the journey begins, and I truly want this to be the most widely-participated P.A.C.E. challenge so far. Remember, P.A.C.E. stands for Promoting Active Children Everywhere. It's all about the kids and what we can do to motivate, inspire and encourage them toward greater health, fitness, goal setting, and knowledge of the world around them. That's what I'm aiming to do with each step I take.

Billings SRTS Update

25 Mini-Grants Awarded to Launch Creative Ideas for Safe Walking and Bicycling to School

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (January 27, 2011) - The National Center for Safe Routes to School announced today the selection of 25 recipients who have been awarded $1,000 mini-grants for projects designed to encourage safe walking and bicycling to and from school. The mini-grant activities, many of which are driven by student leadership, will occur during the spring semester of the 2010-2011 school year.

"We continue to be impressed by the innovation and creativity of the mini-grant applications we receive," said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. "Communities nationwide are tailoring walking and bicycling to school programs to address their unique needs, and that customization and attention to detail is what will sustain these efforts to improve safety and promote an active trip to school in the future."

Read more here. Please note that Billings Highland Elementary is one of the recipients.

National SRTS News

James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award

Alpine Elementary School (Alpine, Utah) Receives 2010 Award! Read more here.

The James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award is given annually for outstanding achievement in implementing the Safe Routes to School Program in the United States. The National Center for Safe Routes to School opens a call for applications each year, receives the applications and evaluates them with assistance of an expert panel representing organizations that promote safe walking and bicycling.

St. Charles County Council approves color-coding roads for bike danger

The St. Charles County Council has moved ahead with plans to designate roads in two semi-rural areas according to their level of danger for bicycling.

Under a bill passed Monday, maps will be distributed to bike shops, parks and other places showing the red, orange and green ratings for roads in southwest and northeast parts of the county. Related signs also may be posted on some routes. The vote was 6-0.

USA's most walkable neighborhoods? Top 40 ranked

Fed up with traffic and car expenses? In need of exercise? The solution may be a walkable neighborhood. But which one? WalkScore.com ranks the top 40 in USA's largest cities.

Of course, rents in many of these neighborhoods -- led by San Francisco's downtown and New York City's Soho -- are pricey, but residents can often go carless and save money that way.