A $200,000 grant will pay for a variety of bicycle and pedestrian safety educational programs in the coming year, Alameda County Transportation Commission officials said Oct. 29.
The grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will fund educational programs in classrooms and community events. The goal is to teach youth and adults about traffic rules, rights and responsibilities as pedestrians and bicyclists, and raise awareness about trespassing on railroad property.
The training will take place at 25 schools in the coming year, and it’s hoped the program will be expanded in the future, said Richard Valle, a county supervisor and chair of the county transportation commission.
Bicycle and pedestrian deaths account for 29 percent of all roadway deaths in California, according to the commission.
“Bicycle and pedestrian safety responsibilities go both ways,” Rhonda Craft, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety, said in a statement. “Understanding the rules of the road behind the wheel, on foot or on two wheels helps all roadway users get where they need to go safely.”
Story originally published by Bay City News.