It's never to early to plan for next year... If your school could use a little cash to kick-start walking and biking this coming September, look no further. The National Center for Safe Routes to School has opened up another call for applications for it's $1,000 mini-grants. Portland's own Emerson School was one of 25 schools nation-wide to receive an award last time (read more about their project here). Let us know if you have questions about your proposal.

National Center for Safe Routes to School Seeks Applications for $1,000 Grants

Call for Applications for Fall 2011 Activities
 

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (April 19, 2010) -- The National Center for Safe Routes to School is now accepting applications for 25 mini-grants of $1,000 each. These mini-grants support the goal of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs, which is to enable and encourage children to safely walk and bicycle to school. SRTS programs are implemented nationwide by parents, students, schools, community leaders, and local, state, and tribal governments. Applications are due Wednesday, May 18, 2011.

The National Center’s SRTS mini-grant program, now in its fourth award cycle, seeks creative ideas that match a school’s needs and interests together with ways to help improve safety and/or increase the number of students walking and rolling to school. They may fund activities ranging from the nuts and bolts that help start or sustain a program to new ideas that explore the range of benefits of safe walking and bicycling.

Selected mini-grant proposals will fit a school's identified needs and interests. It may help to engage a variety of student and adult leaders to decide what kind of changes the school would like to accomplish and the types of activities that could support these changes. The goal of this program is to support schools' and communities' needs related to walking and bicycling programs, as well as to involve students' creativity and leadership at an age-appropriate level. There are many right answers, and creativity and innovation are encouraged.

Mini-grant activities should occur between August 1, 2011, and the end of the Fall 2011 semester. The National Center encourages applicants to use student creativity along with student and adult leaders to identify their school's needs and interests and to propose safe walking/bicycling activities that address those needs and interests.

For more information and to submit a mini-grant application, visit minigrants.saferoutesinfo.org.

In 2015, TriMet will open their fifth MAX line, the Portland Milwaukie Orange Line. TriMet recently released a flyover video simulation of the route with lots of interesting factoids.

Not only will the Orange Line provide excellent transit access for residents, commuters and customers in SE Portland and Milwaukie, pedestrians and bicyclists will benefit as well. TriMet is investing $35 million in pedestrian and bicycle improvements along the route.

These investments include Portland's first transit, pedestrian and bicycle only bridge, which will be built between the Marquam and Ross Island bridges.

SmartTrips North-Northeast Preview

Do you enjoy walking, chatting with your fellow Portlanders and learning about great assets in our dear city? The SmartTrips Ten Toe Express program may be for you.

Beginning May 5^th, Ten Toes will host 16 walks in North and Northeast Portland. All walks are free.

Interested in local parks, neighborhood and cultural history, or urban transportation facilities? Check out the Paul Bunyan to the Parks, Overlook Views, Historic Hollywood and Cully Green Streets walks.

The walks begin on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. All walks begin and end along transit routes.

For more information download the Ten Toe program brochure or contact Rich Cassidy, rich.cassidy@portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-6051.

Read the other SmartTrips North-Northeast previews:

Women on Bikes Gets Rolling in May

Senior Strolls and Senior Cycles

Portland By Cycle Rides and Clinics

Mother Nature’s polar vibe makes it hard to believe, but next week is May – and May is National Bike Month!

May has been National Bike Month since 1956 and since 1992 Portlanders have received a free breakfast on a specified day during Bike to Work Week.

The tradition continues on Tuesday, May 17^th from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Friendly PBOT staffers will be there to serve you coffee, doughnuts, bagels, eggs in a nest and fresh fruit.

Many bike commuters have been created during Bike to Work Week, so if you’ve been thinking about giving bike commuting a try or have a co-worker you’ve been encouraging to do the same, now is the time to begin getting ready. You can order free bike maps and receive a free bike route plan here.

Stay tuned to Commuter Central for other Bike Month events.

This post comes from guest SR2S blogger Timo Forsberg,
who leads the Portland By Cycle rides for Transportation Options.

The joys of Spring!  Tulips blooming, trees blossoming, and the days are warming.  These are some of the things I notice on my daily trip from the Roseway neighborhood to work downtown.

I've also been seeing kids running (o.k, some were walking) around the school block for the past few months - hardy  souls during those chilly, rainy days of February and March.  Recently I've also seen more and more students biking to school as I bike toward work. 

One other thing I noticed the other morning that made sense of all this activity was a sign over the doors of Roseway Heights School.

Of course! May is coming - it's Walk & Bike Challenge Month. 

I'm glad to see that my neighborhood is bringing a strong presence to the upcoming Challenge.  I heard from Michelle Zobeck, one of the parent volunteers on the Walk Bike & Run Challenge committee, that Roseway Heights had earned the Golden Sneaker award previously and they've got their sights set on snagging another one this year.

So while my job is to encourage everyone, big & small, young and old, from all parts of the city, to walk, bike, and roll I have to say I'm especially proud of my neighborhood school.  Good luck to them, and to all the schools around Portland - may you step up to the Challenge proudly!