HB Lee Middle School Awarded 'Safe Routes to School' Oregon Dept of Transportation Grant

Walking and biking to HB Lee Middle School will soon be safer and easier. The Oregon Department of Transportation has awarded the City of Gresham and Reynolds School District $169,000 to add bike lanes, signs to slow traffic, and new crosswalks on 172nd Ave between NE Halsey and NE Glisan.

New crosswalk, signs and paths
The Gresham project includes extending a bike and pedestrian pathway and building a covered bike structure on the HB Lee campus. It also includes a new mid-block crosswalk and two signs advising drivers of the school zone and their actual speed. The improvements are expected to make it safer for students who face speeding drivers and have difficulty crossing the street as they walk or cycle to school.

One of 10 statewide awards
The project is one of 10 Oregon Department of Transportation awards statewide to promote healthy living among children and reduce congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution around schools.

A partnership for healthy students
It also highlights a new public health partnership between Multnomah County, the cities of Gresham and Portland, and local school districts to prevent obesity and chronic diseases by boosting children's physical activity and healthy food options.

"Not that many years ago, kids commonly walked and biked to school, ate meals at home and weren't playing video games for hours. Today, we're moving less and eating more and as a result, obesity is an epidemic and this is the first generation expected to live a shorter life than their parents," said Sonia Manhas, Multnomah County Wellness and Prevention program manager. "This grant will provide infrastructure so parents will feel comfortable with their children walking or biking to school."

Working with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant, Multnomah County is funding wellness coordinators at Reynolds and six other school districts to improve student health by increasing local, healthful food, adding water fountains and supporting physical activity throughout the school day and other initiatives.

"The City of Gresham, Reynolds School District, and Multnomah County have
come together to make the community a healthier place to live. Students need increased opportunities for daily physical activity in order to help prevent obesity-related disease and be better learners," said Sara Woldrich, Healthy Active Schools Coordinator for the Reynolds School District. "Safe ways to walk and bike to and from school do just that."

Speeding traffic an issue
Gresham police issued 27 speeding tickets on the street in front of HB Lee Middle School during the 2009-2010 year.

More Info
For information contact Andrea Watson, Reynolds School District, 503-491-3428 or Laura Shepard, City of Gresham, 503-618-2247.