N.Y. police receive funding to protect school children

 

The Journal-Register

ALBION, N.Y. — The Albion Police Department has received grant funding aimed at increasing safety on the village roadways that are frequented by students on their way to and from school.

APD has received $ 10,000 for a portable driver speed feedback display as part of $26.5 million in federal Safe Routes to School funding in New York. New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald announced funding Friday for 64 projects to implement infrastructure improvements and public education campaigns across the State to encourage elementary and middle school children to safely walk and bike to school.

“The projects supported by this round of federal funding will help children get to school safely by providing features such as sidewalks, multi-use paths, crosswalks and pedestrian signals near schools,” Commissioner McDonald said. “The education component of the program can help families make healthy, sustainable transportation choices and teach kids how to safely use the infrastructure in their communities.”

Albion applied for a modest amount of funding this summer for a mobile speed speed cart, which uses radar detection and displays speeds to incoming motorists.

While the unit wouldn’t have an enforcement mechanism, it would collect data about the number of vehicles passing and their speeds. Police Chief Roland Nenni said this July that would help identify problem areas while encouraging reduced speeds on streets crossed by hundreds of students each school day.

Eligible projects had be located within two miles of a primary or middle school, which allows the new equipment to be used anywhere in the village.

The intent of Safe Routes to School is to enable and encourage children to walk or bicycle to school; help children adopt a more healthy and active lifestyle by making bicycling and walking a safer and more appealing transportation alternative; and facilitate the planning, development and implementation of transportation projects that will improve safety while reducing traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

Nenni recommended in July that the village pursue a small project that wouldn’t require preapplication engineering studies, such large-scale infrastructure improvements.

The Town and City of Lockport received $ 570,219 for sidewalks and safety education at Lockport City School District schools. The Village of LeRoy was granted $421,000 for sidewalk replacement near the Wolcott Street School and the LeRoy Jr/Sr High School.

Copyright 2013 The Journal-Register