Fiscal Note
No City appropriation is required with the adoption of this plan. The plan makes recommendations that, if implemented, may have future fiscal impacts. These potential costs would be approved through future budgets and subject to Council approval.
Title
Adopting the City of Madison Safe Routes to School Strategic Plan (Citywide).
Body
WHEREAS, the health, safety, and well-being of children are of paramount importance to the City of Madison; and
WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School is an international movement that uses programs and infrastructure to encourage children to walk and bike to and from school; and
WHEREAS, walking and bicycling to school helps students achieve the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, improves cardiovascular health, reduces childhood obesity, and increases academic performance; and
WHEREAS, safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure reduces traffic congestion, improves local air quality, and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions around school zones; and
WHEREAS, the City’s Traffic Engineering Division applied and received a Transportation Alternatives Programs (TAP) federal grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to develop a Safe Routes to School Strategic Plan; and
WHEREAS, the development of the Safe Routes to School Strategic Plan involved a comprehensive assessment of traffic patterns, infrastructure gaps, and safety concerns around local schools; and
WHEREAS, the City worked collaboratively with the Madison Metropolitan School District and the Wisconsin Bike Fed to develop the Safe Routes to School Strategic Plan; and
WHEREAS, this Plan was created through a robust community engagement process, including input from parents, students, teachers, school administrators, and residents; and
WHEREAS, the Plan identifies strategic improvements targeting safe streets, safe campuses, safe behaviors, and supportive culture; and
WHEREAS, adopting this Plan makes the City of Madison eligible for vital state and federal grant funding, including the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe Routes to School program;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Madison Safe Routes to School Plan be adopted by the Common Council.