Mayor Jerry Fried, Representative Bill Pascrell, members of Council, Bike Montclair, municipal government, Montclair school administrators, and school children gathered at Rand School on Monday for the Mayor''s official announcement of the Township's receipt of a $334,000 Safe Routes To Schools grant.

The Township of Montclair has been awarded $334,000 BY THE N.J. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. SRTS is a federal, state and local effort to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school and to make walking and bicycling to school safe and appealing.

This is the second such award the Township received – in 2007 Montclair was awarded a $324,000 SRTS grant for the Rand School.

To show a commitment to a town-wide SRTS program the Township established an SRTS Task Force in November 2006 with the aim of expanding the program to all public elementary and middle schools. The Task Force was headed by the Township’s Assistant Planner Patrick Franco, and included Township Engineer Kimberli Craft, Environmental Coordinator Gray Russell, Bike Montclair president Laura Torchio, Kathy Smith and Joanne Aidala from the Montclair Health and Wellness Partnership, Susan Bartol from the Rand School, and Officers John Timchak and Dan Pronti from the Montclair Police Department. The Task Force prepared the successful grant application for a town-wide SRTS program.

The latest grant will help pay for infrastructural improvements, increased enforcement and educational programs in the following areas.

1. School Zone Signage: safety enhancements such as installing or upgrading “School Zone” signs and “Pedestrian Crossing” signs that are specific to school zones. Crosswalk signs would be upgraded to the standard yellow-green fluorescent color for extra visibility.

“These are some general descriptions for school zone upgrades,” said Torchio, president of Bike Montclair, a group that advocates safe streets for cyclists and pedestrians. “Each school in our grant application was considered individually and treatments may vary based on the needs of the specific area.”

2. Enhanced Crosswalks in School Zones: crosswalks would be re-striped to provide a bold, visual cue for motorists to expect children crossing there and to indicate the preferred – and safest – crossing locations. A typical example is the bold, piano-key type of design. Constructing ADA-compliant curb ramps at crossings is also a significant measure in the program.

3. Bicycle Route Network Improvements: “ Bike Route ” signs, striped shoulders, “Share the Road” signs, in-lane bicycle stencils or dedicated bike lanes are all elements being considered in a town-wide bicycle route network that can better accommodate students who bicycle to school. Such treatments would make motorists increasingly aware that they may encounter cyclists.

“All are meant to remind motorists to expect other users in the road,” said Torchio. “We looked at all of Montclair's roads and determined what bicycle improvements would be most appropriate and where.” she said.

4. Initiatives to encourage walking and bicycling to school: schools would be offered SRTS day-long training workshops, which would involve parents/caregivers, teachers, principals, students, community members and groups, municipal representatives (Planning, Engineering, Police) and any other stake-holders. The outcome of these workshops would be a customized action plan to address the needs, concerns and culture of each school community using a 5E approach: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement and Evaluation.

5. Devising a Network of Safe Havens that would get entire neighborhoods involved. Residents and businesses would volunteer their homes and places of business as “safe houses” where children can go if they feel they are threatened or endangered on their way to and from school. Safe Haven locations are commonly given some kind of identifiable sign or door sticker. Volunteer residents and business owners would also go through thorough mandatory background checks,

6. Speed Monitoring Systems, also known as driver feedback signs, use radar to measure and display driving speeds. Devices would be permanently placed around the Township’s school zones to remind drivers of the speed limit and post their speed as they pass.

7. Increased Police Patrol throughout Montclair, especially in school locations, during morning school commute hours.

“ Montclair is committed to making the community more bicycle- and pedestrian-compatible and a great deal of credit goes to our local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group, Bike Montclair,” said Mayor Jerry Fried. “Municipal government supports plans to ensure that residents feel comfortable and secure walking and biking around town. Shoppers should be able to get to Montclair’s business districts, commuters to their bus stops and rail stations, and students to their schools without everyone using their own car.”

The Township’s commitment to improved safety for bicyclists and pedestrians stems from street improvement projects, which have included pedestrian safety elements such as curb extensions, high visibility crosswalks, and traffic calming techniques like speed humps implemented under the direction of Township Engineer Kimberli Craft. More recently, Craft has been developing a Complete Streets policy, which confirms the Township’s commitment to making streets safe for all users of all ages and abilities.

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is part of a national program conducted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In New Jersey, the SRTS program is part of Governor Jon Corzine's five-year, $74 million pedestrian-safety initiative, which includes $15 million over five years for SRTS programs in K-8 schools.