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Back to School

 

New walkway under construction at Olympic Hills

Today is the first day of the 2010-2011 academic year for Seattle Public Schools.  Be sure to watch for students as you make your way around town and remember that the speed limit is 20 miles per hour around every school when children are present. 

You’ll likely notice an increase in the number of students walking and biking to school this year since Seattle Public Schools is implementing a new student assignment plan.  The “neighborhood school” model means more students will be attending schools closer to home.  This, in turn, allows more students to walk and bike to school rather than taking a bus. 

SDOT’s Safe Routes to School Program supports student walkers and bikers by improving designated school walking and biking routes, encouraging students to walk or bike to school, and arming students with the knowledge they need to be safe pedestrians and bicyclists. 

Since 2007, we’ve made infrastructure improvements at 20 schools that vary from the construction of new sidewalks to the installation of flashing beacons for school zone speed limit signs.  In 2010 our Safe Routes Program made walking and biking easier for kids at six elementary schools.  These improvements included new sidewalks at Olympic Hills and Concord, sidewalk repair around BF Day, and crossing improvements at Thurgood Marshall, Dearborn Park and Roxhill.