TOWN OF BRADFORD
SAFE WALK TO SCHOOL MEETING
NOVEMBER 19, 2009
3:30PM
In attendance were: Nik Coates, CNHRPC, Cheryl Behr, Administrator, Debbie Flinkstrom, Dawn Rich, Kate Dobrowski, Andrew Pinard, Beth Rodd and Marge Cilley, Secretary. Audrey Sylvester was absent.
Audrey Sylvester brought in pictures taken at the Community the day of the Scavenger Hunt.
The Scavenger Hunt went off very well with the exception of the heavy rain. The Halloween gathering was very well attended with over 200 there. In reply to some questions to children regarding side walks, one child said: “Get new ones” another said “Where are they? Questionnaires were looked at and people were asked to leave them at the Town Office.
Another subject brought up was how dark Main Street is and it is very difficult seeing walkers after dark, especially when the late school busses unload on Main Street. It was thought that the street lights that were taken away about ten years ago should be put back. The money saved in electricity is inconsequential.
Nik Coates, CNHRPC advised he spoke to the Bradford PTO last evening and had positive results. He handed out the prepared packets for Safe Route to School. He advised he had also spoken with the Sutton Board of Selectmen who wants to do Safe Route to School also, and would like to extend an invitation to attend their meetings and would like to be included in Bradford’s, making this a district wide approach.
Nik Coates’, CNHRPC office will be doing a Safe Route to School conference in March to include the whole state. At this time the date has not been set. Local experts from the whole region will do seminars to help communities get their Safe Routes to School projects rolling. A task force meeting to include Warner, Bradford, Sutton, Newbury would be beneficial.
Mr. Spadaro, Principal, Kearsarge Bradford School will distribute Safe Route to School information in the school news letter.
The infrastructure is already in place at the school with the existing trails etc.
One thought was to give each school child a journal to record how many miles they have walked as a wellness/healthy living exercise each week, and could be incorporated as part of their English class. Another thought is to work with the school and do a mapping of routes to school.
The next task was thought to have a survey inserted in the Bradford Bridge, and also put it on the Bradford Web Site. For the next several months, the main effort will be put into the surveys, circulating and getting them turned in to the town office.
Also there will be a traffic count and this could be worked out with the Road Agent. It would include volume, speed and classification of vehicles. This would be for a week in the spring for 24/7. Also a walking audit was discussed with an inventory, observation, striping and conditions which would be done with teams.
In the spring, a Bike Rodeo to include how to fix bikes will be planned, coordinated with the police and Will Hurley. Also a Community Night may be planned for the spring.
There will be a Book Sale at the school probably early December and the goal is to make up some book marks about Safe Routes to School to hand out for each book sold as well as place some in the library.
March 29, 2010 is the day notification of the Grant that was applied for should come.
The next temporarily scheduled meetings are:
December 17, 2009
January 14, 2010
February 18, 2010
March 11, 2010
April 8, 2010
Motion to Adjourn 4:30pm
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie R. Cilley
Secretary