Safe Routes to School Grant Award
The City of Galax is pleased to announce that it has received grant funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation for Galax Safe Routes to School programs for the seventh consecutive year! Galax Safe Routes to School program is a cooperative effort between Galax City Public School Division, Galax Police, Galax Parks and Recreation and City administration. Grant funding is used to employ a part-time Safe Routes Coordinator, teach pedestrian and bicycle safety, walks and bike rides, maintain the Bike Library, and promote physically active transport for children to school.
In six years, the program has created a Bike Library, the first in the state, where you and your family can “check out” a bike for free; distributed more than 1,000 helmets free of charge; and distributed tens of thousands of free incentives and educational materials, like coloring books, T-shirts, lights, whistles and sport bottles. Grant funding has also purchased 50 bikes, pedal-less bikes for teaching, a bike storage building, signs, bike racks, and a large mobile trailer for bringing bikes to bike rides and bike rodeos.
Galax Safe Routes to School program celebrates many successes, winning national recognition with the James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award by the National Center for Safe Routes to School. There are 4,838 Safe Routes schools in the National partnership; so, the City of Galax is indeed honored. Two of Galax schools crossing guards were selected as the state’s Most Outstanding Crossing Guards, Officers Fred Bobbitt and Vickie Taylor.
Since 2011, the City of Galax has aggressively pursued grants for various projects and have been successful in grant awards totaling over $17 million dollars. Grant funds have been used for building new infrastructure, new programs, staffing, equipment, and training.
