September 2021 β€’ View as Webpage
Welcome Back to School!
We are so excited that MCPS is back in the buildings full time for the 2021-22 year. This is the perfect opportunity to speak about safety with the children around you. We have many resources available via our Safe Routes to School program to promote safe and active walking and biking to and from school.

Duwan Morris, Safe Routes to School Program Manager, spoke at Safe Kids Worldwide's PrevCon, a virtual childhood injury prevention convention, about the challenges we faced in transitioning to a virtual platform to reach students during the pandemic. Click here to view the recording >

If there is anything we can do to support you or the children in your community during this time, do not hesitate to reach out. SRTS is a FREE program that provides pedestrian and bicycle safety education and outreach to residents of Montgomery County.
Announcing: An Updated Website for SRTS
To kick off the school year, we have updated and redesigned resources available for you.

Be sure to visit the new SRTS program pages to find ways to get involved, get educated, and stay safe!

MCDOT aims to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bike safely. Our simple purpose is to get more children to walk and bike, while saving lives and preventing injuries in Montgomery County. Check out the new website >
Educators: While you're on the site, be sure to register as an official SRTS School! By becoming an SRTS school you are committing to the safety of students to and from school and while on school property. We will also provide you with resources and programming for your students.

Parents: Create a Walking School Bus in your neighborhood. It is an efficient way for kids to get exercise on their way to school with fewer adults needed. We have a toolkit available for you to plan β€” check it out!

Students: Take the Safety Pledge! Make a difference in the lives of your fellow students by pledging to promote safe habits and ensure secure communities.
Meet (the new and improved) Zeal!
Zeal, our traffic safety mascot, got a makeover and has been having so much fun meeting people out and about! He would love to stop by your school or community group to talk about pedestrian and bicycle safety. Reach out to set a date and time!
Walk to School Day is October 6
Have you registered your school yet?

We are asking all MCPS administrators to register your school for Walk to School Day 2021! Families and neighborhoods are also encouraged to plan events and register them on the site. We can't wait to see how you celebrate!
Summer Outreach Recap
(Virtual) Safety Week 2021

MCDOT's Safety Week was held May 17-21, and was jointly hosted by the SRTS program and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) for elementary and middle school students and their families. Safety Week emphasized the need to be safe while traveling, whether by walking, biking, via bus or other vehicle.
A Weeklong Celebration at the Ag Fair

We loved meeting so many of you at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair! We talked to hundreds of people about ways to travel safely, and loved seeing all the kids' smiling faces as they spun our trivia wheel. We are already excited for 2022!
Summer Bike Rodeo Tour

The SRTS team partnered with Montgomery County Recreation to conduct a 4-week, 10-stop Bike Rodeo Tour in the month of July. We were able to provide FREE helmets and educate over 300 young people about the bicycle ABC's, Rules of the Road, Proper Helmet Fitting, and Communicating with Hand Signals.
Engineering Update
MCDOT's traffic safety program combines engineering and education throughout the community. The engineering team conducts Walkability Studies at schools throughout the county in order to ensure students can reach them safely.

Featured here is the work completed this winter at Newport Mill & College View. New, high visibility β€œcontinental” crosswalk marking upgrades and new signing was installed to facilitate a safer pedestrian crossing at this intersection. The curbs were bumped out to slow vehicles and shorten the crossing distance and the new pedestrian ramps were designed and built to meet and exceed ADA requirements. This school crossing improves pedestrian operations near Newport Mill MS and Albert Einstein HS.
Congrats to the Vision Zero Art Contest Winners
2 of the 2021 Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors held an art competition for Elementary Schools.

We were very impressed by all the entries, as well as the hard work put in by Ambassadors Carissa and Cityana.

Congrats to the contest winners: Ahana, Nidhi, Natalie, and Claire!

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For more information, contact Duwan Morris, SRTS Program Manager, at srts@montgomerycountymd.gov