In 1969, 50% of children walked or bicycled to school. Forty years later, that number has dropped to less than 15%. Roughly 39% commute by school bus, and 45% are driven to or from school in vehicles. Back then, 5% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 were overweight or obese. Today, 20% of children are overweight or obese on average, with that percentage nearing 50% in some communities in Monterey County. These statistics point to a rise in preventable childhood diseases, worsening air quality and congestion around schools caused in large part by the choice to drive.
The Measure X Safe Routes to School program is intended to reverse these trends by funding projects and programs that improve children’s health by making walking and bicycling safer and easier. The program will result in projects that provide the following benefits: improved safety for children walking and biking to school; better connections between schools, residential areas and vocational training programs; enhanced air quality; and healthier transportation choices for school children and parents.The Measure X Safe Routes to School Program is consistent with local, State and Federal goals to provide safe access to and from school and will apply the 6 E’s to ensure programs and projects funded are comprehensive and inclusive. The Six E’s of Safe Routes to School are: evaluation, engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and equity.
Central to the success of the Measure X Safe Routes to School program will be the ability to effectively collaborate with other agencies to reach program goals. To ensure regular opportunities for communication and collaboration, agencies and organizations have been invited to participate in a Safe Routes to School Task Force facilitated by TAMC staff. The Task Force will meet quarterly to review Program progress, discuss funding opportunities and provide interagency support.
The proposed program budget includes equal support for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects that work toward the 6 E's. The Program is funded through a combination of local, state and federal funds. The draft Measure X Safe Routes to School Guidelines proposes to encourage leveraging of funds by providing grant support including grant writing, conceptual design services and grant matching funds to agencies and organizations applying for state and federal funding.
The Measure X Safe Routes To School Program will greatly expand bicycle and pedestrian safety education with the lofty goal of reaching all 2nd and 5th graders in Monterey County. These bicycle and pedestrian safety educational programs will take place at elementary schools in the Salinas Valley, Marina and Salinas over the next two years. In FY 2019/20, mini grants will be available to fund a variety of activities including school-based safe routes to school encouragement programs, high school bike maintenance shop classes, Bike safety instructor certification, traffic gardens, enhanced traffic safety equipment, crossing guard equipment and training and neighborhood enforcement programs.
The Draft Measure X Safe Routes to School Program Guidelines was reviewed by the Measure X Technical Advisory Committee on January 16, 2018 and will be reviewed by the TAMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, Technical Advisory Committee and Board of Directors in February 2018. The program will officially kick-off in FY 2018/19.