Demonstration projects are short-term, low-cost, temporary roadway projects used to pilot potential long-term design solutions to improve walking/bicycling and public spaces.
Fond Du Lac has been implementing programs and encouraging Safe Routes to School since their original plan was completed in 2015. Celebrating walk and bike to school days, providing on-bicycle education during P.E. classes, redesigning arrival/dismissal flow and supporting sidewalk installation. While the school is currently revising its SRTS plan, they applied for MnSRTS Demonstration Project Technical Assistance to pilot some improvements on a high-speed corridor - Big Lake Road and University. This was the location where a 13-year-old girl riding a bicycle was recently hit by driver while she was crossing, highlighting the need to improve this segment of road.
Over the summer, the Tribe worked with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Carlton County to identify the challenges faced for people walking and biking across Big Lake Road. The project used paint and flexible plastic posts to reduce crossing distances, narrow the roadway to slow traffic and increase visibility of people walking and biking. The demonstration project gives the Fond du Lac community a chance to try things out before these measures become permanent. It also raises awareness of some of the challenges for people walking and biking in the area.
The outcomes from this demonstration project could influence more permanent changes too. Next spring, Carlton County plans to resurface this section of Big Lake Road and will be considering how to make the it more welcoming to people walking and biking.
MnSRTS will be releasing another opportunity for Demonstration Project Technical Assistance this winter. If you are interested and would like to be informed when another solicitation is open, please email dot.saferoutes@state.mn.us
Winter! Bike! Fun!
No student has been left untouched by the Covid-19 pandemic and that's true of the Spartans at Richfield Middle School. The suburban scholars at RMS spent the fall semester in "advisory pods," which met in-person one day per week for academic counseling and other activities. It turns out spending the day on bikes was an excellent match for this learning model.
Four pod teachers partnered with Richfield's SRTS Coordinator to pilot Bike! Fun! on an unconventional schedule: two three-hour bicycle skills classes over two weeks. Classes started in the gymnasium and worked up to a six-mile community ride. The pods are generally smaller than a typical P.E. class, which allowed for more personalized instruction. Four students who had never been on bikes before even learned to ride during their pod days!
Another perk of the smaller class sizes is that instructors can handle whatever nature throws in their path. RMS borrowed the bicycle fleet in the middle of October, just in time for an early below-freezing cold snap and record-setting seven-inch snowfall. Undaunted by a little bit of chill and precipitation, these middle schoolers donned winter accessories and got an unexpected introduction to winter biking.
Student transportation COVID-19 resources
This year, schools may be changing from in-person to hybrid or virtually quickly and looking for transportation opportunities with minimal spread of germs. We have resources to support walking and biking to school, a low viral transmission way to arrive to school ready to learn.
Find tool and ideas at MnSRTS COVID-19 resources for Safe Routes to School.
Safe Routes National Partnership has released back to school recommendations for Safe Routes to School programming and SRTS school messaging guide.
Please reach out to saferoutes.DOT@state.mn.us if you need any technical assistance.
Upcoming events
January 14th at 10:00 a.m. – MN SRTS network call
Share and learn with those working on SRTS from across Minnesota.
To join the Minnesota Safe Routes to School Network, email center.communications@bluecrossmn.com
More about MnSRTS
Visit: mnsaferoutestoschool.org
Follow us on Facebook! facebook.com/MinnesotaSafeRoutestoSchool
MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all. If you need an ASL, a foreign language interpreter, or other reasonable accommodation, or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), please email your request to Janet Miller at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720.
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