Lorain County kids will soon see safer and healthier routes to school, thanks to some fresh grant funding coming their area's way. In a recent announcement, Speaker Pro Tempore Gayle Manning expressed pleasure that the 2025 Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Grants will support two key projects in the county.
The larger chunk of the cash, $80,000, is set to flow into Lorain County Public Health, teaming up with Elyria City Schools. The money is going towards programs aimed at encouraging youths to walk and bike to school actively. With activities like walk and bike to school day and bike rodeos, these initiatives are not just for fun, they're also about promoting safety for the students, according to the Ohio House of Representatives.
The grant pot is also distributing $35,000 to North Ridgeville City Schools, which plans to launch pedestrian and bike safety campaigns. Educational bursts of activity like this could clearly make a real difference, also including the expansion of the Girls and Gear Program, which aims to encourage more young women to start biking.
"These projects protect our students and prioritize their overall health by encouraging them to walk and bike to and from school while also improving safety along those routes," said Manning in the grant announcement, according to the Ohio House of Representatives. This initiative is part of a broader move by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Transportation, which is distributing $7.6 million to support 24 projects statewide. The SRTS program clearly isn't just mere child's play – it's about laying down the foundations for on-foot and two-wheeled journeys to school to be safer, and wiser. A step up for local infrastructure, from sidewalks to bike lanes, is on the horizon. And for the kids of Lorain County, that can only mean good things are to come.
