Waynesboro and Staunton are among a select group of Virginia cities that will get state money to help kids safely walk or bike to school. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has awarded nearly $6 million in grants for construction projects in 18 communities.
Waynesboro was one of the big winners in the "Safe Routes to Schools" program. It landed about $410,000 for projects around four different schools. By reducing kids' reliance on buses and cars, the campaign aims to improve air quality, and promote healthy habits.
"Whether it's a handicap ramp or a busy street that they can't cross," said Waynesboro City Planner Michael Barnes, "the idea is to make it easier for kids to be able to walk to school and get around those barriers."
The city's grant will pay for new sidewalks, crosswalks and lighted pedestrian signals at William Perry, Westwood Hills and Wenonah elementary schools, and Kate Collins Middle School.
"We went out and met with the principals and parents and teachers, kids. And they're the ones that helped us identify what the projects were," said Barnes. "Then we tried to put them in a ranking system. The ones that will be given the biggest bang for the buck."
Construction on those projects is as much as two years away. But Berkeley Glen Elementary School (BGES) won't have to wait that long. That school landed the city's first improvement grant, and will see improvements this summer.
In praising the Safe Routes program, BGES teacher Michael Freeman said, "Just to have that notion in elementary school kids' heads that I don't have to get on a bus all the time."
Berkeley Glen's education efforts helped spawn walk-to-school efforts all over Waynesboro, and helped promote walking as bonding time.
"I know that my family and I sometimes struggle to get some family time together," said Freeman. "So why not spend time walking to school?"
The city of Staunton also landed a Safe Routes grant, for improvements around McSwain Elementary School. That could include new bike lanes, sidewalks, and perhaps a lighted crosswalk.
