“Slow Down! This is Our Neighborhood” Yard Signs
Is speeding a problem in your neighborhood? Safe Kids Central Ohio encourages displaying “Slow Down! This is Our Neighborhood” yard signs to remind motorists to drive slowly through communities where people live and children play.
Signs can be purchased for $5 each.
Walk Your Child to School Day
Each year, Safe Kids Central Ohio works with elementary schools in Franklin County to conduct International Walk to School Day. This one day international event is an opportunity to raise awareness about pedestrian safety. By inviting community members to participate in the event, we are able to keep pedestrian safety a priority issue with government officials.
As local dignitaries and volunteers walk with their student(s), they are able to observe, first hand, what children face each day as they walk to and from school. Walkers have been encouraged to complete a Walkability Checklist that will provide insight on issues that can be fixed. Once the checklists have been compiled, we work with the city’s Department of Transportation to determine possible solutions. To date we have gotten new pedestrian signage, school flashers, and crosswalks painted around area schools. Although we only focus on one school each year, we have raised awareness and made positive changes to the environment.
The Safe Kids Pedestrian Safety Task Force, including members of Franklin County Safe Communities, City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, Healthy Places and other community organizations, received two $10,000 grants from Safe Kids Worldwide to make environmental modifications to improve areas for pedestrians, especially children. Focusing on the Franklinton Area in 2008, radar speed signs were installed in the school zone on Sullivant Avenue near Dana Elementary School. These radar speed signs let the driver know how fast he is going through the school zone when the lights are flashing. The data is also being collected for evaluation by the City of Columbus.
In 2007, crosswalks along Livingston Ave. at cross streets near Nationwide Children’s Hospital were painted on the streets to encourage safer walking by using crosswalks to cross the streets.
These improvements will create a “pedestrian awareness zone” for drivers in that corridor. We are working to slow drivers down and guide pedestrians to safe crossing locations.
Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School is a nationally endorsed process to improve walking and bicycle safety in neighborhoods, especially around schools. The program is promoted and funded through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ohio Department of Public Safety, Franklin County Safe Communities and Columbus Public Health.
