Big Island Safe Routes to School Meetings

PC: Pixabay 2019

The Hawai‘i County Department of Public Works (DPW) announced Monday that Safe Routes to School informational workshops will be held in Hilo and Kona later this month.

Part of a statewide outreach effort by the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT), the SRTS workshops provide community leaders, school officials, health and transportation professionals, law enforcement officers, as well as parents and neighbors with the knowledge needed to develop SRTS programs in their communities, a DPW press release said.

SRTS programs grow from community concerns about safety, health and traffic. A combination of engineering, encouragement, education and enforcement strategies are used to address these concerns and make Safe Routes to School a reality, the release said.

Communities around the country are using SRTS programs to make it safer and more appealing for children to walk and bicycle to school. Federal legislation has recognized the value of SRTS programs and has provided funding for states to establish programs.

Workshops are scheduled in Hilo and Kona on the following dates:

Hilo: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. State Office Building, Conference Rooms B and C, 75 Aupuni Street, Hilo.

Kona: Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Council Chambers, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona.

To register for a workshop or for more information on SRTS program in Hawai‘i, go to http://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/srts/ and click on the link under Upcoming Workshops. Those interested can also contact Tara Lucas at 808-692-7696 or by email saferoutestoschool@hawaii.gov.