St. James: A Safe Routes to School project success story

The St. James Leader-Journal recently covered the city's success in using MoDOT Safe Routes to School and Enhancements grants to improve the health and safety of school students:

Walking and bicycling to school

“St. James is very, very fortunate. The city just does a great job of writing applications for grants and finding real areas of need,” he said. “And it really comes down to writing a tremendous application. For these grants, you’re competing against schools from across the state.”

At the name suggests, Safe Routes to School grants are awarded to cities or schools that have a real need to make kids’ travel to school safer.

In total, the city has received three Safe Routes to School grants, and one MoDOT Enhancement Grant. Two of the Safe Routes to School grants will go toward building new sidewalks. The other went to the elementary school to teach children about the benefits of walking and cycling to school and how to travel safely.

The MoDOT Enhancement Grant will help build a pedestrian walkway across the interstate overpass all the way to Parker Lane. One of the Safe Routes to School grants will fund constructing a sidewalk from Parker Lane to Highway 68.

The grant Connell discussed at the meeting will 100 percent fund the sidewalk from Valley View to the elementary school. The sidewalk will run along State Route DD. The Parker Lane to Highway 68 project is also completely funded through grants. . . 

Councilman Don Moore, who lives in Valley View, said he thinks the new future sidewalks will make a positive difference for the town.

“With these additions, students can more safely walk and ride bicycles to school,” he said. “This should be very beneficial to students.”

Elementary School Principal Kim Shockley said she is excited for the sidewalk progress.

“We have a lot of students who lie out toward Valley View,” she said. “These new sidewalks will provide a safe route for students without them having to get on the highway. I’m thankful to the city for thinking of us and pursuing these grants.”

The St. James grant is one of 13 recently awarded by MoDOT's Safe Routes to School Program.  Other recipients from this round of funding include Albany, Birch Tree, Bloomfield, Cape Girardeau, Carrollton, Doniphan, Eminence, Hannibal, Holts Summit, Kahoka, Northwoods, Potosi, Russellville, Marion and Pettis County R-V

Find out more about MoDOT's Safe Routes to School Program, grant application guidelines, and previous awardees here.

MoBikeFed is involved in Missouri's Safe Routes to School program because it helps meet two of the primary goals in MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri:

Safe Routes to School National Partnership

• Building a World-Class Network - by helping provide funding for bicycling and walking facilities in and around schools across Missouri
• Encouraging Activity - by building programs to promote and encourage more children to bicycle and walk to school, helping make bicycling and walking life-long habits

Your support has allowed MoBikeFed to stay involved in MoDOT's Safe Routes to School program in two important ways:

• MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh sits in the statewide steering committee for MoDOT's Safe Routes to School program
• MoBikeFed leads the Missouri Safe Routes to School Network, the primary statewide group working in support of the Safe Routes to School program in Missouri.