Marblehead officials seek school traffic safety grant

MARBLEHEAD – Town officials are seeking a grant that will help them plan safe walking routes to the Glover and Eveleth elementary schools.Glover-Eveleth Principal Mary Devlin will work with police and the town Department of Public Works to apply for a WalkBoston grant that will fund a study of the school neighborhoods and propose traffic safety measures. The money covers the cost of a community coordinator and technical assistance.Traffic safety is an issue that parents at both schools have mentioned again and again as they prepare for the eventual construction of a new elementary school that will house the students in both school districts.Devlin told selectmen, who endorsed the application at their meeting last week, that she planned to apply by May 2. The program accepts four to six communities each year.According to WalkBoston’s Web site, the goal of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is to encourage daily physical activity. Walking to school has dropped from approximately 65 percent of all students 30 years ago to only 10 percent today.In 2000, with the assistance of the Massachusetts Highway Department, WalkBoston launched New England’s first comprehensive SRTS program. Begun as a walk-to-school initiative in selected schools in Arlington, WalkBoston’s program has added schools each year in the metro Boston area.The program provides safety training and works with town government to ensure that there are safe sidewalks, crosswalks and streets. In Arlington the number of students walking to school rose from 42 to 56 percent after two years in SRTS.Selectmen appreciated Devlin’s efforts.”Thank you for finding this,” said Selectman James Nye.