Whittier Elementary School to benefit from ‘Safe Routes to School’ grant

February 3, 2012     

Whittier Elementary School was the recipient of $50,000 in Illinois “Safe Routes to School” grants that State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) said will allow the school district to finance projects to make walking or biking to school a safer option for area students.

“As a parent who has two children in grade school, I’m constantly concerned with safety in and around our schools,” said Dillard, who is a founding member of the Downers Grove District 58 Education Foundation and sponsor of the “Safe to Learn Act” to ensure school safety.

“I regularly walk my children to our local grade school, and participate in ‘Walk Your Children to School’ events with local police officers, so I am pleased to see a local school district receive resources that will enable kids to get to school more safely.”

The Whittier Elementary School grant will allow the district to implement traffic calming measures, such as curb extensions, speed bumps, traffic circles, raised crosswalks, narrowing lanes, and more.

The Safe Routes to School grant program is 100 percent federally-funded and is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The program is designed to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school and encourage a healthy lifestyle from an early age. The program also facilitates projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools.

For more information about the Illinois Safe Routes to School Program and to view a list of funded projects, visit http://www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes/SafeRoutesHome.aspx.