Happy National Bike Month!

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1 8/22/2016 us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dffc1c89c842c4f551b5353cc&id=b8208fbcdc not displaying correctly? View it in your browser SUBSCRIBE Maine Safe Routes to School Newsletter May 2016 Bike and Walk to School month is already off to a great start. Check out this month's newsletter with updates on how Maine communities are celebrating, and find resources to support better biking and walking in your community. Happy National Bike Month! Highlights from National Bike to School Day National Bike to School Day was May 4, Here are a few highlights from the day! Geiger Elementary School's (Lewiston) Bike to School Day was a huge success! Over 46 students, along with their parents, teachers and the Lewiston Police Department participated. Hats off to organizer, Dominic Giampaolo and volunteer Bruce Hall for their efforts to organize the annual bike ride to school. All participants could enter into a raffle for a gift certificate to Busytown Bikes Shop. Check out the Sun Journal's photo essay of the event. Scarborough Middle School celebrated it's FIRST National Bike to School Day by providing 4 Bike and Walk to School starting points for its students: 2 for bikers and 2 for walkers. With the help of staff, police and parent volunteers, there were 31 bikers, 239 walkers and 1 scooter. "The weather was perfect, and everyone seemed to enjoy starting their day off with a little exercise," said Denise Turner, Health and Wellness Educator at Scarborough Middle School. Pond Cove Elementary School (Cape Elizabeth) also celebrated Bike to School Day with its students and enhanced the event by providing Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Presentations In This Edition Happy National Bike Month! Daily Walking School Bus Programs Launch in Waterville & Bangor! Off Road Bicycle Education (ORBE) Application Announcement 2016 Build Maine Conference Resources & Timely Funding Opportunities For More Information Darcy Whittemore Safe Routes to School, Central & Western Maine Region Tel: E Mail: saferoutes@bikemaine.org Bridgette Kelly Outreach and Education Specialist, Southern Maine Region Tel: E Mail: bridgette@bikemaine.org Erik dasilva Maine Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Education & Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator Eastern & Northern Maine Regions Tel: erik@bikemaine.org Jim Tasse Maine Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Education Program Tel: jim@bikemaine.org 1/5

2 events taking place this month. to all 2nd and 3rd grade students. Thanks to Health & Wellness Educator Heather Kennedy for leading the effort. Visit the Safe Routes to School website for a full list of Biking and Walking Register Your Walk and School to School Events It's not too late to register your Walk and Bike to School Events! Plan a Walk and Bike to School Day weekly, monthly or one time fun community events. Register your events and order incentive materials here! Register your Bike to School Day event with National SRTS to be eligible to win one of the ten drawings. Each giveaway will include 10 Schwinn SmartStart bicycles and 20 Schwinn helmets to be awarded to a winning school. The deadline for submitting events is May 31 and winners will be announced weekly on the Safe Routes to School and Schwinn Facebook pages. Request Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Presentations for your students at requests.mainebpse.org. Teach safe biking and walking at your school with our resources: Be A Safe Bike Driver Be A Safe Walker Choosing the Right Helmet Bike Train Guide SRTS Blog Send us your photos and stories so we can add them to the Maine Safe Routes to School Blog! Check out our blog at mainesaferoutes.wordpress.com to see great examples from Maine schools promoting biking and walking. Daily Walking School Bus Programs Launch in Waterville & Bangor! Application will open for selection of more schools next fall! The Albert S. Hall School in Waterville (see photo left), and the Downeast School in Bangor the two latest recipients of grants from the Maine Walking School Bus Program both launched their walking school bus (WSB) programs earlier this spring. They join the three schools currently running WSB programs as part of the state wide program: Portland s East End Community or Patrick Adams MaineDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Tel: patrick.adams@maine.gov RESOURCES & TIMELY FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Play Everywhere Challenge May 31 KaBOOM! is excited to announce the launch of the Play Everywhere Challenge, a national competition that will award $1 million in prizes for the best ideas that make cities more playable for kids and families. The Challenge is open to anyone with an idea for creating playful moments in unexpected places from sidewalks to vacant lots, bus stops to open streets. For more information and to submit your idea, visit playeverywhere.kaboom.org Maine Women's Ride Ride Scholarships & Kids Ride FREE In celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the Maine Women's Ride, the Coalition is granting 15 free ride scholarships to women for whom the ride registration fee might not be affordable. Help us expand the community of women in biking! Have a friend, family member or coworker who could benefit from this scholarship? Have her apply today!. Deadline: rolling through June 5th. Also all kids aged 11 & under ride for FREE. With 4 different route distances, including a 10 mile ramble, the Maine Women's Ride is a fun, family friendly event to celebrate women and bicycling. More information at mainewomensride.com. Bicycle Friendly America 2/5

3 expected, We had Bangor fire and police escorts all passing out stickers and pencils to the kids, balloons for all of the kids walking, most of the volunteers dressed in their safety garb and waving flags, and a trail of children for the first day! (see photo right) School, Norway's Guy E. Rowe Elementary School, and the Ellsworth Elementary Middle School. The Downeast School s WSB program coordinator, Kristen Miner, said the first day went better than she ever Application various deadlines The League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program provides a roadmap, hands on assistance and recognitions for states, communities, universities, and businesses. The BFA program is a tool for states, communities, business and universities to make bicycling a real transportation and recreation option for all people. For more information on the BFA program and how to apply, visit bikeleague.org/bfa Grants and Community Recreation Program Pre Approval Site Inspection Due July 29 The 2 year grant provides a stipend for a Walking School Bus (WSB) program coordinator who is based in each school, program equipment and promotional materials, and ongoing technical assistance from WSB Program staff. Maine schools will have another opportunity to apply to the program this coming fall learn more at the Maine Walking School Bus Program web site. The Walking School Bus program is supported by a partnership between the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and the Maine Safe Routes to School Program. Off Road Bicycle Education (ORBE) Application Announcement The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is pleased to announce the launching of its Off Road Bicycling Education (ORBE) Program, and to invite your school or community group to apply to participate! The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands announces that the application period is officially open for the The Grants and Community Recreation Program. The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established to assist federal, state, and local governments in the acquisition and/or development of public outdoor recreation facilities. The funding can provide up to 50% of the allowable costs for approved acquisition or development projects for public outdoor recreation. To learn more about the current LWCF program, visit the Maine LWCF grant website. Recreational Trails Program (RTP) September 30 The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a program of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF). RTP funds are available once per year, they are used for trail construction and maintenance. RTP funds three types of projects: motorized trails, non motorized trails, a combination of 3/5

4 The Off Road Bicycle Education (ORBE) Program seeks to educate people of all ages on: 1. How to operate mountain bikes in a safe and environmentally sensitive fashion, 2. How to lay out and build sustainable, environmentally conscientious trails that serve the needs of hikers, runners, snowshoers and bicycle riders. This year, the program seeks to partner with schools to create/support riding programs that engage students with the healthy fun and excitement of off road trail riding. Schools can participate in just the riding instruction, just the trail building instruction, or both parts of the program. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY! 2016 Build Maine Conference What if we could find ways to build economically stronger, more successful towns and cities in Maine by aligning investment with more durable outcomes? Build Maine returns to Lewiston with a day long program of dynamic, nationally renowned speakers. Looking to go deeper into the innovative tools for doing more with less? Join us the day before Build Maine for technical, hands on 201 Level Workshops. For more information and to register for Build Maine 2016, visit build maine.com Resources & Timely Funding Opportunities Check out the sidebar for resources and timely funding opportunities to support better walking and biking in your community. Thank you to all of the communities who are promoting biking and walking among their students. May 2016 is shaping up to be a fantastic Bike and Walk to School month! Keep on rolling, walking, skipping, and jogging! The Maine Safe Routes to School Team! these two, and educational elements to trail projects. 30% of total program funds are for non motorized uses. This is federal transportation funding. It requires a 20% local match. The local share may consist of cash or stat approved donations of labor and/or materials. More more information and to apply for funding, click here For questions about thus funding stream, contact: Doug Beck, (207) , Doug.Beck@Maine.gov WHAT WE'RE READING Make Wearing a Bike Helmet a 'No Brainer' A convincing article as to why everyone, especially adults, should be wearing their helmets. Five Ways Safe Routes to School Can Help Advance Youth Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Beyond the Trip to School This report highlights the progress made by the Federal Safe Routes to School Program, including how at least 6.8 million students have been reached by the Program, and discusses the urgent need to use these achievements and strategies to better serve children and youth as they walk and bicycle beyond the trip to school. UPCOMING WEBINARS Maine SRTS National Partnership Let's All Ride Together Strategies to Get More Families Bicycling May 25, 1PM Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, Planning for Separated Bike Lanes Webinar Series (Part 1 & 2) June 7 & June 14, 1PM 4/5

5 Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Community Spokes: MaineDOT's Complete Streets Policy, An Update June 15, 8AM You are receiving this because you opted in to receive the Maine Safe Routes to School Newsletter Unsubscribe << Address>> from this list. Our mailing address is : Maine Safe Routes to School P.O. Box Portland, Maine Add us to your address book Copyright (C) 2009 Maine Safe Routes to School All rights reserved. Forward this to a friend Update your profile Marketing Powered by MailChimp 5/5