Community Corner

Watertown Receives $10K Grant to Provide 'Safe Routes' to School

The MAPC awarded the grant as part of $1.6 million it received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Watertown will use a $10,000 grant to plan for safe routes for students to get to school.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) awarded the grant as part of the Middlesex Community Transformation Grant, which was given by Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a $1.6 million grant designed to help states and communities tackle the root causes of chronic disease, according to a release from MAPC.

In the Safe Routes to School program, Watertown schools will provide resources and educational tools to increase the number of students walking and bicycling to and from school.

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“This program encourages daily walking and biking for kids – it’s healthy for kids and it makes them more awake as students,” said State Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont).

Some schools have a lot of walker and bikers, but more still could choose this option, said State Rep. Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertow).

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“Some of our elementary schools have already had great success using Safe Routes to School to encourage daily physical activity,” Hecht said. “It's exciting to see Watertown expanding the program to include all elementary and middle school children.”

MAPC awarded six wellness grants to Middlesex County communities 

The schools will work with members of Watertown's Planning Department to create better and safer routes to school, said Steve Magoon, Director of the Watertown Department of Community Development and Planning.

“The Department of Community Development and Planning looks forward to collaborating with our school department on this exciting project that will help us to improve the safety of our pedestrian and bicycle routes to school, and thereby encourage our students to choose these healthy options,” Magoon said. 


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