Issue: 02 FEBRUARY 2020

Welcome to Cross County Connection's South Jersey Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Newsletter! Through a partnership with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), Cross County Connection assists schools, school districts and municipalities in South Jersey with developing fun and educational events and activities to enable and encourage children in grades K-8, including those with disabilities, to safely walk and bicycle to school. We also provide technical assistance with assessing the physical environment around schools and provide strategies to make it safer. If your school, school district or community is interested in learning more about SRTS, contact Cross County Connection TMA at (856) 596-8228.

Coming Soon: National Bike to School Day 2020

National Bike to School Day is Wednesday, May 6, 2020! The first-ever National Bike to School Day took place on May 9, 2012, in coordination with the League of American Bicyclists’  National Bike Month . Almost 1,000 local events in 49 states and the District of Columbia joined together to encourage children to safely bicycle or walk to school that year. In 2019, seven years later, that number has grown to over 3,000 schools registered to be a part of the national event. This event builds on the popularity of Walk to School Day, which is celebrated across the country – and the world – each October. Many communities and schools have been holding spring walk and bike to school events for years. National Bike to School Day provides an opportunity for schools across the country to join together to celebrate and build off of the energy of National Bike Month. Please be on the lookout for more information on how to get involved, in upcoming issues of Cross County Connection’s Safe Routes to School newsletter or visit the National Walk and Bike to School website . Join thousands of schools that have made Bike to School Day a priority and schedule your Bike to School Day celebration with Cross County Connection today at 856-596-8228. It’s not too early to schedule your event!

Top 3 Most Requested Safe Routes to School Services

Cross County Connection offers a plethora of government services which includes the Safe Routes to School program. Under the Safe Routes to School umbrella, a school or community champion may ask Cross County Connection for assistance on setting up and hosting Walk to School Days, Walking School Buses, Bike to School Days, etc. Below are the top three most requested Cross County Connection Safe Routes to School services:

1. Safe Routes to School Travel Plan and Walking Audits - The Travel Plan is an assessment of the biking and walking environment along student travel routes to school. It provides recommendations on how to address infrastructure concerns and suggests activities and policies designed to increase the number of students biking and walking to school.   School representatives, elected officials, parents and others are invited to participate in walking audits that are used to identify issues impacting student travel safety and potential strategies to address them. These audits provide participants an opportunity to get to know their school’s surroundings and take an active role in improving the safety of children in their community.

2. Pedestrian and Bicycle Education Program - This program consists of a presentation on pedestrian and/or bicycle safety. The presentation most often takes the format of a slide presentation with games, quizzes and/or activities. Students also learn safe travel behaviors using an interactive mock streets cape featuring crosswalks and road signs. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Education Program is best taught to smaller groups and covers proven travel safety habits, rules of the road, street sign meanings and how to be visible to drivers. This program can be incorporated into the school’s curriculum as a part of Art, English, Health, Mathematics, Physical Education and Science.

3. Helmet Fittings - Often occurring as a part of a Bicycle Rodeo, helmet fittings cover several important steps to ensure students have a properly fitted helmet. These steps include selecting the right size, positioning helmet on student’s head, adjusting side straps, closing buckles, checking the chinstrap and testing fit. In addition to teaching students and parents how to properly fit students’ helmets, Cross County Connection provides free helmets to those who need one.

Be the early bird and schedule your event now! To take the first step, visit our Safe Routes to School page at: http://www.driveless.com/safe-routes-school/ or email Latifah Sunkett, Cross County Connection’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator, at [email protected] .

UPCOMING EVENTS & WEBINARS

Federal Aid Workshop for Responsible Charge Staff Has your community received funding through the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Division of Local Aid and Economic Development? This workshop will help local communities effectively implement Federal Aid programs such as Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). This training is required for the appointed person of responsible charge. Municipalities and counties that receive federal aid must provide a name, title and employer of the person of responsible charge for their respective projects. This person must be a full-time employee of the municipality or county.  For more information please visit https://cait.rutgers.edu/event/njltap-federal-aid-responsible-charge-training-2-2/ .   Date and time: Friday, March 13, 8:30am – 4:00pm Location:  Middlesex County – Rutgers CAIT 100 Brett Road Piscataway, NJ 08854 Registration: Free. Register here .

2020 New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition's annual Summit is a statewide meeting of bicycle and pedestrian advocates, elected officials, and community leaders, transportation and urban planners, and others who are interested in making New Jersey a better place to live. Attendees will learn about current state and federal legal and policy issues affecting communities, provide information on various public funding sources, and give ample opportunity to network, and identify and develop mutually beneficial relationships that can help communities become more bike and pedestrian friendly, and more livable. For more information, visit the  event website . Date and time:  March 7, 2020, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: The Conference Center, Mercer County Community College                   1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550 Registration: $35 students; $65 non-students; Discounts for NJ Bike Walk Coalition Members. Register here.

Green Team 2.0: Building Your Capacity & Promoting Your Team Webinar You've got your green team - what's next? This session will talk about recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers; promoting the work of your green team; keeping your green team active during transitions; and the pros and cons of starting your own 501(c)3 non-profit. This is an extended version of the presentation from the 2018 Sustainability Summit. Date and time: March 4, 2020, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: Online webinar Registration: Free. Register here.

Fun Fact:

In 1888, Matthew A. Cherry created several devices that have become very useful for transportation today, including the velocipede (an early form of the bicycle), the tricycle and the streetcar fender.

Quote of The Month  “If you can't fly then  run , if you can't  run  then  walk , if you can't  walk then  crawl , but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”  -Martin Luther King Jr.

South Jersey SRTS Program Cross County  Connection TMA Ronda R. Urkowitz  P.P., AICP Executive Director (856) 596-8228 [email protected] Latifah Sunkett SRTS Coordinator (856) 596-8228   [email protected]  SRTS Resources: NJ Safe Routes to School Resource Center NJ Safe Routes Scoop Blog     NJDOT Safe Routes to School Communities can earn Sustainable Jersey and Sustainable Jersey Schools certification points by participating in SRTS! Learn more at:  www.sustainablejerseyschools.com

Sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Transportation with funding  from the Federal Highway Administration. The Federal Government and the NJDOT assume no liability for the contents.