HUNDREDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY STUDENTS TAKE PART IN SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL INITIATIVE
"NATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY"
Safe Routes to School aims to increase the number of students who walk or bike to school
National Walk to School Day at Arcola Elementary School.
On October 2nd, hundreds of staff and students across Montgomery County took part in the 22nd celebration of National Walk to School Day hosted by the Department of Transportation.
Several schools participated in the National Walk to School Day, however Arcola Elementary School was the highlighted school with many events. Events featured an organized walk, traffic safety presentations, demonstrations by representatives of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and several giveaways.
Safe Routes to School is one of five strategies of the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI). The overall goal of the Safe Routes to School strategy is to increase the number of students in Montgomery County who walk or bike to school. The strategy is a partnership between Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), supported by TCI.
Other aspects of the initiative include the development and promotion of user-friendly Safe Routes to School maps for schools, increasing the number of Safe Routes to School bicycle and pedestrian educational and safety trainings, and increasing collaboration for sustainability.
To date, all 203 public schools in Montgomery County have participated in a comprehensive school zone traffic safety assessment and the majority of improvements have been completed. To learn more about Safe Routes to School or get involved, please contact the MCDOT Safe Routes to School Coordinator Duwan Morris at [email protected].
About the Transforming Communities Initiative:
The Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) is a partnership between the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), Trinity Health affiliate Holy Cross Health, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and numerous other government and community partners. Montgomery County, Maryland is one of eight locations selected by Trinity Health for investment through their national TCI grant program.
TCI is an innovative, collaborative funding initiative established by Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Grant recipients, in collaboration with a community coalition(s), implement and support evidence-based and innovative policy, systems and environmental change strategies to reduce obesity, promote tobacco-free living and address social influencers of health. TCI leverages health system funding, community partnerships, local match dollars, capital loan dollars, and national technical assistance resources to improve community health. Funding is also provided by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and the Healthcare Initiative Foundation.
