Safe Routes to School Funding Available: Lets kävellä!

I’d like to start this story with a clever Finnish expression but in all honestly, I have been unable to learn a lick of Finnish, no matter how I try and google translate has steered me wrong numerous times.  My family currently has the privilege of hosting two young hockey players from Finland.  Mikko and Kaapo are twelve years old and here to participate in a hockey tournament with my son as well as get a taste of American culture. They traveled from Helsinki with their parents and siblings so we have been fortunate enough to spend time with them as well.   While we all hear much about the renowned Finnish school system, it’s sidewalks we’ve been talking about the most.  They were surprised to learn that we don’t have sidewalks everywhere.  Their children walk to school. They walk up to 2.5 or 3 miles! It’s only then that they receive a ticket for a public bus.  When I pointed out a school bus (they were not yet awake when my children’s school buses arrived so bright and early!)  Kaapo remarked that he had seen one on the Simpsons.  Oh my... please don’t let that be the only image of American life that the Finnish know! 

Our Finnish guests thought it odd that we would have a train station so near yet no safe way for pedestrians to access it. They thought it strange that we have two schools well under a mile from our home and yet our children are unable to safely walk to them.  Truth be told, from the look on their faces they found it more than just strange.  And I share the feeling. 

Safe Routes to School funding is currently available through the Pennsylvania Transportation Alternatives fund.  The application process is being managed by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission along with Penndot.  There are two pools of funding so if your project application is not funded in the first round there is another opportunity.  The Lower Merion Township Circulation Committee identified the corridor between Penn Valley Elementary and Welsh Valley Middle School as a priority for safe pedestrian pathways.  The number of students and families that walk and could potentially walk along that stretch would astound you . Simply taking that sidewalk out to Montgomery Avenue would mean that Narberth students could safely walk to and from Welsh Valley as well.  And of course the commuters, shoppers, park go-ers, dog walkers, library patrons and runners could easily travel between Narberth and Penn Valley.  

The Penn Valley Sidewalk Group has been unable to get much traction in facilitating an application to fund this sidewalk project.  A very strong application would come jointly from Lower Merion Township and Lower Merion School District.  I could see the Borough of Narberth partnering as well.  If you believe in a walkable Lower Merion and safe and environmentally friendly pedestrian routes for students please write to your commissioner and your school board members and ask them to apply for Pennsylvania Transportation Alternatives/Safe Routes to School funding.  The window for this opportunity closes soon and this is too important to miss out on.  You can find contact information for your Commissioner at www.lowermerion.org/index.aspx?page=149 and reach your School Board Directors at communitycomments@lmsd.org.

Anna lasten kävellä!