Two Sedgwick County commissioners want more discussion on providing safe routes for children to walk and ride their bicycles to school, as transportation planners begin looking at the issue.
The Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) had a meeting this week that included discussions on a Safe Routes to School program, developing plans with local communities and school districts. The group is planning a parent survey and a tally of student travel to develop a plan for 2024.
County Commissioner Jim Howell is asking county staff for more information on the issue. He said three schools in his 5th District have no sidewalks, and students are walking in ditches to get to school. He says this is an opportunity to understand what is happening with schools in the unincorporated areas of the county.
Commissioner Ryan Baty said this is more important after a fifth-grade student was hit by a car and critically injured in Maize on Wednesday morning. Baty said the Maize school district has had to change bus routes because of bus shortages and staffing shortages, and more students are walking to school. He said there needs to be more details on what the county can do to make it safer for children to walk to school in the unincorporated areas.
