Walking and Bicycling to School Program Announced by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer

$32 Million Given to Promote Walking and Bicycling to School

According to the New York State website, Governor Eliot Spitzer has launched a new initiative that will supply $32.1 million in federal funding to promote walking and bicycling to school.

The $32.1 initiative will support school based transportation improvements and public campaigns all across New York State that will provide safe routes to schools. This will allow children to walk or use their bicycles to get to school. With them using this initiative, children will begin to adopt a more healthier lifestyle. The monies that are given will also allow the development and the implementation of transportation projects that will go to improve safety, as well as reducing traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution that is in the vicinity of the schools.

With the program, which was created in 2005 under federal law, the funding is made available to each state based on it's population of kindergarten through eighth grade students. According to the New York State Department of Transportation, 70 to 90 percent of the funding must be used by law on targeted infrastructure improvements that are within a two mile radius of an elementary or middle school. Some of the improvements will be traffic signals, crosswalks, construction of sidewalks, and traffic mitigation measures.

10 and 30 percent of funding will be provided to local municipalities, school districts, police agencies, and non profit organizations that include public education and outreach projects. As part of the funding being provided, conducting police enforcement operations and helping develop education programs that help educate parents and children on the health benefits of walking and bicycling to school.