Tony Steiner at tsteiner@rfcity.org
Sarah Gaskell at
sgaskell@saa-madison.com
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
CONTACT:
Tony Steiner at tsteiner@rfcity.org Sarah Gaskell at sgaskell@saa-madison.com |
River Falls Announces Safe Routes to School Public Forum
River Falls, Wisconsin – In an effort to encourage and enable children to safely walk and bike to school, River Falls has begun the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Planning Process. The success of our SRTS plan relies on community support and participation.
On January 10th 2008, a public forum will be held in the Meyer Middle School Commons from 6:30 to 8 pm. This public forum will provide an opportunity for the public to review and discuss information collected by the task force and prepared by the Safe Routes to School consultant, Schreiber/Anderson Associates, Inc. Information to be presented includes: existing traffic, circulation and facility conditions at the school; results of the walking/biking audit; and parent, teacher, and student survey results (as available).
Following the presentation, there will be time for open discussion and an informal workshop in which the participants can discuss the planning process with the Task Force and consultant. The public is encouraged to participate and share their valued opinions and ideas. Comments can also be submitted after the public meeting. Following the meeting, information will be made available for review at the School District web site www.rfsd.k12.wi.us and the City of River Falls Web site, www.rfcity.org.
Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the past 30 years, while the number of children walking and biking to school has declined. According to the 2001 National Household Travel Survey, less than 16 percent of students between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or biked to or from school, compared to 42 percent in 1969. Walking and biking to school, a good source of daily activity for children, is made more difficult due to a number of issues and a SRTS Plan can help remove these barriers to physical activity. In addition, Safe Routes to School Plans aim to reduce fuel consumption, improve air quality around our schools, and increase community security, accessibility and involvement.
Safe Routes to School began as an international movement in Denmark in the 1970s. In the U.S., with the 2005 passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Congress designated a total of $612 million toward developing the National Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS). Wisconsin’s SRTS funding totals more than $10 million over the next three years, and Schreiber / Anderson Associates (SAA) of Madison, has been chosen to assist River Falls
in preparing our SRTS plan.WHAT: Public Forum for the Safe Routes to School planning process.
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., January 10th, 2008
WHERE: Meyer Middle School Commons
WHY: To review and discuss the Safe Routes to School planning process. To provide a public forum for sharing thoughts and ideas in order to provide for safe and adequate routes to school so that more students are able to walk or bike to school.
For additional information, please visit these web sites:
Schreiber / Anderson Associates
www.saa-madison.comWisconsin Department of Transportation www.dot.wisconsin.gov
National Center for Safe Routes to School www.saferoutesinfo.org
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