RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently awarded $2.5 million in Safe Routes to Schools program funding to foster opportunities for Virginia children in grades K-8 to more safely walk and bike to school.

Launched in September 2006 by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the Safe Routes to Schools program encourages children to walk and bike to school, teaches school-age children bicycle and pedestrian safety, promotes healthy and active lifestyles from an early age, and funds projects that improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

“Virginia is experiencing a disturbingly high number of traffic fatalities every year. We must pursue every possible way to address this epidemic and save lives,” said VDOT Commissioner David S. Ekern. “A key way to save lives is to convince drivers that they must share the road with bicyclists and pedestrians. The grants available within our Safe Routes to Schools program are another tool to reinforce that important message near schools where there is a high concentration of pedestrian traffic.”

The following localities received portions of $2.3 million in funding for infrastructure projects. These can include signing, sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle crossings, traffic-calming improvements, and other bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

• City of Alexandria
• City of Charlottesville
• City of Colonial Heights
• City of Norton
• City of Roanoke
• Stafford County

The following localities received portions of $242,000 in funding to develop and implement local Safe Routes to Schools programs. The programs can include safety education, outreach, participation encouragement and crossing guard training.

• City of Alexandria
• Town of Colonial Beach
• City of Colonial Heights
• City of Lexington
• City of Norton
• City of Roanoke
• Stafford County
• Town of Vienna

CapTech Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, also received funding for statewide outreach and promotion and the development of a bike safety and active lifestyles publication for the Safe Routes to Schools program.

For a detailed list of grant awards, click here.

For more information on the Safe Routes to Schools program, click here.

Traffic safety is everyone’s responsibility. Virginia’s highway safety partnership — the Virginia Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles and Virginia State Police — challenges you to help put the brakes on highway fatalities. Buckle up. Avoid distractions. Share the road. Drive drug- and alcohol-free. Obey speed limits.

For more information on the Highway Safety Challenge and things you can do to avoid becoming Virginia’s next traffic fatality, click here.

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Page last modified: Oct. 18, 2007