Billings Seeks Public Input on Safe Routes to School Plan

Not every parent has the luxury of being able to drop off their elementary-aged school kids at school every morning or pick them up in the afternoon. Work or life schedules can make it impossible and if that's the case, kids may be walking or riding their bikes to school. Even students that utilize bus transportation frequently walk the last leg to and from their house to the bus pick-up/drop-off location.

It's been a decade since the Safe Routes Plan was last updated.

The Billings-Yellowstone County Metropolitan Planning Organization is responsible for mapping and planning safe routes for kids to access their schools. The plan was last reviewed in 2011. As our city continues to grow, so has the need for safety and accessibility for students who walk or bike to school. The Safe Routes to School Plan Update has four major tasks:

• Evaluate current walking, biking, and rolling conditions for students.
• Identify barriers or issues that might discourage students from walking or rolling to school.
• Prioritize projects that can be built to improve conditions for students.
• Create walking route maps for all 22 public elementary schools in Billings.

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They're accepting public input now through December 17th.

The group says many students in Billings don't feel safe getting to school on foot or by bicycle because of things like busy streets, lack of sidewalks, unmarked crossings, etc. If your child has a difficult route to school, let the officials know. There is an easy-to-use, interactive map HERE where you can point out inadequacies for walking/rolling access to your child's school.