The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. has been using a Safe Routes to School grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation to create safe walking and biking paths for nine school buildings in the district.
Awarded in 2010, the grant also aims to cut down on concerns such as heavy traffic that might prompt parents to send their children to school via bus or car.
Bartholomew Consolidated’s most recent Safe Routes to School project provides sidewalks along the busy Rocky Ford Road thoroughfare to Richards Elementary.
The city’s board of public works and the school board recently approved easements to allow Bartholomew Consolidated to build a pedestrian and bike trail along Rocky Ford Road to the school.
It’s good to see this part of the project going forward, because incomplete sidewalk systems were identified as the main hindrances to Richards students who want to walk or bike to school.
The idea fits like a glove with the community’s push for more people to lead healthier lifestyles, which includes physical activity.
Having safe routes to schools allows students to walk or bike to school, providing built-in exercise programs for students that will improve their health — and safety.
This is a win-win program.
