Prichard starts safe routes program

PRICHARD, Ala. - The City of Prichard is pleased to announce it will receive $150,000 from the Alabama Department of Transportation as part of the National Safe Routes to School Program.

The scope of the project will include the construction of a 6-foot-wide sidewalk along one side of High Pointe Boulevard originating from Indian Springs Elementary School and ending at the neighborhood developments south of the school. The proposed length will be about 4,500 linear feet.

The sidewalks will help to enhance safety concerns for the neighborhoods adjacent to the school and encourage students to walk or bike to school. Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the past 30 years, while the number of children walking and biking to school has declined.

According to the 2001 National Household Travel Survey, less than 16 percent of students between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or biked to or from school, compared to 42 percent in 1969.

Through the 2005 passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Congress designated a total of $612 million toward developing the National Safe Routes to School Program.

In Alabama, elementary schools across the state will participate in National Walk to School Day on October 7, 2009. The event is an official part of the Safe Routes to School Program in Alabama and is a great tool to kick off a walking program or to raise awareness regarding walking safely in your community.