Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School District is one of eleven schools in Minnesota that will benefit from planning assistance that supports the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. Safe Routes to School is an international program to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion around schools, increase physical activity and improve health by making it easier for students to walk and bicycle to school.
Planning assistance grants provide communities the resources to convene a team, understand key issues, prioritize strategies and identify solutions that fit the local need. “Thousands of Minnesota students will now have more opportunities to safely walk and bike to schools and improve their health,” said MnDOT Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher. “Thanks to the Safe Routes to School program we are helping to build the next generation of multi-modal transportation users.”
With several letters of support, the Walker-Hackensack-Akelely Schools Safe Routes to School planning application was awarded with planning set to begin in October. Also participating in the planning process is Cass County Health & Nutrition SHIP Educator Simon Whitehead, who assisted in the development of the application.
Region Five Development Commission (R5DC) will assist in facilitating the planning process which will include a parent survey, an in-class student tally, walking audits to identify potential infrastructure deficiencies, a school zone hazard observational assessment, identification of issues and barriers, and a public kickoff meeting on Wednesday, November 13th from 6:00pm – 7:00pm at the Walker-Akeley-Hackensack High School in Walker.
If you are interested in participating on the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley SRTS planning team, you are invited to attend the kickoff meeting. For more information, contact Tad Erickson at 218.894.3233 Ext. #7 or via email at terickson@regionfive.org.
For more information on SRTS please visit MnDOT’s website: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/newsrels/19/04/22-saferoutes.html