FAQs • Ithaca, NY • CivicEngage

Who is involved in this project?: City of Ithaca Engineering Office staff will manage the overall effort and will focus primarily on the physical infrastructure aspects of the project. Ithaca City School District (ICSD) staff will manage and lead the activities portions of this project. Three schools are participating in this project: Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, Fall Creek Elementary School and Boynton Middle School. The city and ICDS will work collaboratively to seek input from students, parents and the general public during all phases of this project.

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Safe Routes to School Project (SRTS)

1. What are the key objectives of this project?: This project will focus primarily on improving the safety of students walking and biking to school and encouraging more students to walk and bike to school. These objectives will be supported through infrastructure improvements (such as traffic calming and improved school zone signs) and through activities designed to increase students' skills and enthusiasm for walking and biking to school.

2. How is this project funded?: The City of Ithaca and the Ithaca City School District partnered together to submit a joint application seeking federal funding for this project. $297,950 in federal funding has been awarded for this project, no local funding is required.

3. Who is involved in this project?: City of Ithaca Engineering Office staff will manage the overall effort and will focus primarily on the physical infrastructure aspects of the project. Ithaca City School District (ICSD) staff will manage and lead the activities portions of this project. Three schools are participating in this project: Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, Fall Creek Elementary School and Boynton Middle School. The city and ICDS will work collaboratively to seek input from students, parents and the general public during all phases of this project.

4. Where are the infrastructure improvements going to be? What will they look like?: The infrastructure improvements will include traffic calmed routes throughout "The Flats" are of Ithaca, and school zone sign improvements adjacent to the 3 participating schools. The traffic calmed routes will include wayfinding signs and pavement markings, a limited number of speed humps, and will have the speed limit lowered to 25 mph. Coincidentally, and conveniently, the traffic calmed routes will closely resemble the recently approved "Ithaca Bicycle Boulevard Plan." The infrastructure improvements will be designed in 2014; the public will have opportunities to provide feedback during the design phase.

5. What types of activities will be used to increase students' skills and enthusiasm for walking and biking to school?: ICSD staff will be soliciting feedback from students, parents and the general public in 2014 to assist in the development of the activities to be used in 2015-16. Through the exact activities have not yet been determined, they will likely include: special events (such as a Walk-to-School week and a Bike-to-School week), ongoing events (such as Walking School Buses), and incorporation of SRTS topics into existing curriculum areas.

6. When will I see results from this project?: The infrastructure elements are slated for construction in 2015. The education and encouragement activities will be developed in 2014 and implemented in 2015-16.

7. How can I learn more about this project?: Contact Junior Transportation Engineer Kent Johnson at 607-274-6528, or ICDS Chief Operations Officer Amanda Verba 607-274-2121.