Grafton Gets Safe Routes to School Award

GRAFTON, MA—Grafton schools set a good example for walking to school, and were acknowledged by the state for doing so.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), through the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, celebrated the successes of SRTS partner schools and community champions at the Massachusetts State House last week. The SRTS Program, which consists of more than 800 schools across more than 200 communities, recognized and awarded specific schools and communities for their efforts in fostering programs for students to safely walk and bike to school.

“The Safe Routes to School Program is very important to MassDOT and the whole of Massachusetts,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack in a statement. “Through providing pedestrian and bicyclist trainings, to assessing safe routes allowing access to and from school, we are helping to shape safe transportation behaviors for students to carry with them for years to come.”

A program of MassDOT, the statewide SRTS program promotes annual flagship events such as Massachusetts Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day and International Walk and Roll to School Day. Along with celebrating these event days, SRTS offers pedestrian and bicyclist training activities, as well as walk and bike assessments of the existing infrastructure. SRTS reaches out to schools and their local communities to offer one-on-one assistance to meet their specific needs, help to plan various customizable safety-focused activities, and provides additional resources to help facilitate student travel to a parent and student audience.

More than 100 partners were recognized during the ceremony. The following awards were presented to those who showed exemplary efforts:

· Exemplary Program by Region Winners:

o Barnstable-West Barnstable Elementary School, Barnstable

o Cottage Street School, Sharon

o Josiah Quincy Elementary School, Boston

o Elm Street School, Gardner

o Memorial Elementary School, West Springfield

· Exemplary Program by Region Honorable Mentions:

o Nantucket Public Schools

o Lawrence W. Pingree Primary School, Weymouth

o William E. Russel School, Boston

o Millbury Street Elementary School, Grafton

o Bridge Street School, Northampton

· Community Collaboration Winner:

o Healthy Easton

· Community Collaboration Honorable Mention:

o Newburyport Livable Streets

The 2018 Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Superhero Award was given to the Tishler Family, in honor and memory of Nikki Tishler, MassDOT Safe Routes to School Coordinator.

Photo via Shutterstock