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Montana Safe Routes to School NewsletterApril 2011

Greetings!

 

  

The Montana Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program and MDT have completed the application review process for SFY-2012 and awarded $691,103 to twenty five schools and communities for seven infrastructure and twenty four non-infrastructure projects. Montana SRTS received application requests for almost $ 4,000,000, The application pool consisted of twenty eight infrastructure projects and twenty eight non-infrastructure projects.

Beginning on July 1, 2011, sidewalks, separated pathways and concrete/asphalt/non-dirt bike rack pads will be planned and constructed throughout the state. July and August will see schools and communities planning and implementing programs promoting the safety benefits (i.e. healthier students, less automobile congestion in and around school property) of walking and biking to school for Montana's K-8 students. The 2011-2012 school year will see more Montana students taking Walking School buses and bike trains to school.

A growing number of elementary physical education classes will be implementing the Montana Journeys From Home (JFH) road awareness and safety curriculum. This K-5 physical curriculum simultaneously burns up copious amounts of youthful energy and educates/creates aware, safety minded and knowledgeable pedestrians and bicyclists for Montana's transportation network. Due to the success and popularity of the JFH program around the state, Montana's SRTS has contracted directly with JFH to provide regional curriculum trainings for teachers, administrators and law enforcement personnel in SFY 2012. Also new for SFY 2012, Montana SRTS will be outfittin

g applicant programs with bicycles and cargo trailers to support the school currently providing JFH training.

 

Information on the JFH training can be found online at http://journeysfromhomemontana.com/moodle/

 

 

Quick Links
In This Issue
Important Dates
National SRTS Legislation
We need your inout
PACE Update
Let's Move - Walk to School Day
National SRTS Training Opportunity
SRTS National Conference
Additional Funding Opportunity

Important Dates

April 14-30 - P.A.C.E. Mojave Desert Challenge 

April 18-24 - National TV Turnoff Week

April 18 - Bike Safety event at Bozeman Public Library

April 22 - Earth Day

April 29 - Arbor Day

May 7 - Ronan/Polson Path Celebration Day

May 12 - Bozeman School District Bike Safety Event

May 18 - National Walk/Bike to Work Day

May 18 - Hawthorne School Bike to School Day

July 1 - Funding available for approved applications 

SRTS Legislation Introduced

Senator Harkin has introduced legislation in support of the federal Safe Routes to School program http://1.usa.gov/epTWwc

We need your input

We want to share what is going on with SRTS across the state. Please send us pictures of SRTS activities in your community, articles about SRTS, and any event announcements.  We will put them in the Newsletter, post them on Facebook, and add them to the calendar on the website. 

 

 Also, please let us know what YOU need from us and what you would like to see in the newsletter.

FY2012 SRTS Funded Programs
projectlist


 

PACE Update
 
pace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 Paul started his run on yesterday on the Rim of the Grand Canyon! 

 

The Mojave Desert challenge ispresented 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.

 

Follow Paul as he runs alone across the Mojave Desert in 17 days!

Let's Move - Walk to School Day
 

 

Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign features a blog by Lauren Marchetti of the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

 

http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2011/04/12/april-showers-bring%E2%80%A6walk-school-day-registration
 

Training Opportunity

 SRAM Bicycling Webinar #2: Organizing Successful Bike Trains

Thursday, May 5, 1pm EDT, one hour

Register Today

 

Walking school buses are popping up everywhere, but have you seen or heard of a bike train? Starting a bike train, a group of children and parents who ride to school together with other families, is a great way to get students actively commuting to school from farther distances. Bike trains have the same underlying principles as walking school buses but forming a consistent, sustainable bike train that allows students to safely bicycle to school while parents, teachers and administrators rest easy, requires a deft balance between organization, encouragement and training. This webinar hopes to tackle those hurdles and leave attendees with the tools to either tune up their current bike train or start one anew!

 

This webinar will focus on success stories from Tampa Bay, Florida; Portland, Oregon; and Washington, DC that will provide insight from the nuts and bolts of grassroots organization to bike trains that are arranged and endorsed at the multi-school level. Presenters will highlight their unique programs but also outline the steps necessary to create and organize a bike train that will make a difference and the tips and tricks to keep them running smoothly.  

 

There will be an opportunity for questions and answers at the end of the presentation.

 

The webinar will broadcast at 1pm EDT, Thursday, May 5 and will last one hour.

 

Presenters:

Kiel Johnson, Bicycle Safety Educator, Bicycle Transportation Alliance (Portland, Oregon)

Jason Jackman, Program Planner Analyst, Center for Urban Transportation Research (Tampa Bay, Florida)

Parrie Henderson, Parent Organizer, Mt. Pleasant Peloton (Washington, DC)

David Cowan, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School National Partnership (Denver, Colorado)    

 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!!

 


SRTS National Conference 

 

August 16 - 18, 2011. It's the time to energize your Safe Routes to School (SRTS) planning, strengthen your networks and elevate the vision of how we all can create healthier kids and communities.

Minneapolis, Minn. It's the place to discuss ideas, resources, projects and best practices that will help you improve the health, safety and environment of children in your state through policy, partnership and infrastructure.

Proponents and professionals. They're the people who will inspire you - and who you will inspire:

  • advocates
  • city planners
  • community members
  • elected officials
  • engineers
  • law enforcement
  • parent organizations
  • program representatives
  • public health officials
  • school professionals
  • state coordinators
  • transportation professionals

Join others for this dynamic conference, advance your important work and build the connections-in your schools, streets and communities.

 

Visit the website for more information. 

Additional Funding Opportunity

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced how it will allocate the 2011 prevention dollars  made available through the Affordable Care Act (health reform). Of the $750 million available for 2011, $222 million will be used to support Community Transformation Grants. These grants will be modeled after the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grants, which funded communities to make policy, systems and environmental changes around obesity prevention and tobacco cessation. Grant applications are not yet available; we'll keep everyone posted.

 

Sincerely,

 


Taylor Lonsdale
Montana Safe Routes to School