Marks: Building Safer—and Healthier—Routes to School
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On Wednesday, communities throughout the world will participate in events that highlight the importance of giving children the opportunity to walk or ride their bikes to school. Oct. 5 is International Walk to School Day.
In the 5th District that I represent on the Baltimore County Council, there are two participating communities.
In Perry Hall, students who traditionally ride to school will form “walking school buses” from their homes to Joppa View Elementary School. Our son attends Joppa View Elementary School, and this is the fourth year students have participated in this event.
Joppa View is a classic example of a school built with almost no regard for “walkability.” The school is located next to a busy highway, Honeygo Boulevard, and physically isolated from most surrounding neighborhoods. Children who live across Honeygo Boulevard can’t walk the fifty feet to school; they must take a bus. Earlier this year, Baltimore County installed sidewalks that filled in important gaps between neighborhoods, but there are still many traffic problems that come from the school’s location on a busy highway.
Rodgers Forge in Towson will also sponsor an event on International Walk to School Day. Rodgers Forge is much different than Joppa View. This older, densely-built community is centered on Dumbarton Middle School and Rodgers Forge Elementary School. For the past year, parents have been working to develop a Safe Routes to School program for the community.
It’s important to encourage our children to walk or ride their bicycles to school, to the extent this is safely possible. In the 1960s, more than 70 percent of children walked or biked to school; that has dropped to fewer than 12 percent today. When kids walk or bike to school, they become more physically active. By increasing the percentage of walkers and bikers, we can also reduce traffic jams outside many schools.
Baltimore County is late to this effort. As an example, the county does not apply for Safe Routes to School grants, unlike most jurisdictions in metropolitan Baltimore. There are, however, some promising signs. The Department of Public Works has been filling many sidewalk gaps throughout the county. I am also very happy that the county will soon start its Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, a panel created by the County Council earlier this year.
These are very good signs as we work to make communities friendlier for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Richard Cook
8:00 am on Monday, October 3, 2011
It is absurd for Mr Marks to continue to pretend concern for school kids. He has used his position on the County Council to denounce high school kids who are not legally in the US but who are otherwise perfectly qualified to go to college. The DREAM Act, passed by the legislature, is not a matter for the Council to weigh in on. Never mind that - Mr. Marks used his position to try to divide County residents and invite some to tell others, high school grads - to forget about higher education. Mr. Marks should explain how the County is helped if his proposal becomes law - by creating a permanent underclass of frustrated, ill-educated young people, who will contribute not to the betterment of the county - a class which surely will drive up local taxes and undermine the quality of life for all the residents of Baltimore County.
Old Terp
10:12 am on Monday, October 3, 2011
I won't comment about his position on the DREAM Act but you are completely wrong about Mr. Marks. Do your research Richard. The children of our area are lucky to have him as an engaged advocate who's shown he's willing to fight for what children need. He's shown he's willing to respond to what parents in Balt Co want which is in itself new. He's not one of these guys who will say I won the vote so now I have a mandate to vote however I want. He's approachable, call him up if you don't agree with him.
Tim
11:02 am on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Go away, troll - and take the illegals with you.
thomas gary likens
9:09 am on Monday, October 3, 2011
i sure hope you don't entice any kids to walk from chapel rd. to school they will take there life in there hands!!!!! thanks mr. marks for all the drainage problems and side walk on that rd. ha ha !!!!tg likens
Richard Cook
10:36 am on Monday, October 3, 2011
I try to avoid responding to anonymous posts but "Towson Native," I will make an exception for you. Baltimore County does not need Mr. Marks or any politicians, incl four of his colleagues on the County Council, who are trying to divide our communities along ethnic lines. We got past this - I thought - some decades ago. I have done my "research." Mr Marks has urged some of his constituents to invite others to leave the County. He put up contributions from supporters (maybe money from you) into the petition drive - such was his zeal to tell Hispanics to get lost. This sort of "my kind only" attitude is offensive and disqualifying for any elected official. Shame on Mr. Marks for using his elected position to undermine the educational goals of high school students in Baltimore County. May David Marks' current term in elected office be his last. Racism must be denounced in all of its guises.
Bart
11:20 am on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Oh for goodness' sake Richard, give it up! Mr. Marks though it would be fair to let the voters' decide on the issue. Your constant droning on this topic is tiresome. Put your energy into fully educating people about all the points of the Dream Act. Do something positive for a change.
Aimee Freeman
5:47 pm on Monday, October 3, 2011
Stoneleigh Elementary has been participating in this initiative since 2004 (see last year's Patch article: http://towson.patch.com/articles/stoneleigh-elementary-takes-a-few-steps-forward).
Tim
11:03 am on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
I for one am glad Councilman Marks is pushing this. I'd like to think that someday my kid could ride his bike to school.
thomas gary likens
12:33 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
dear mr. marks i have no plan in the county to develop my land and would not support a plan that does not include widening of this road as you have supported across from my property!!!!!get your fax together before you make comments
David Marks
2:48 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Mr. Likens, I will not support an expressway that destroys the front lawns of homes along Chapel Road and ruins the character of this part of Perry Hall--just so that a certain landowner or landowner can profit from development.
William Lutostanski Jr
3:33 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Chapel Rd does need to widened. It has drainage issues and is dangerously narrow is some areas. There is already a new development planned, with an entrance onto Chapel Rd, near Cross Rd with no plans to improve Chapel Rd at all. Mr Likens aside, Chapel Rd needs improvment more so than Forge Rd which recieves much less traffic. I don't think adding a foot to each side of the road and a few sidewalks, which only will improve the community, will turn it into an expressway.
Jeffrey Smith
12:48 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Promoting walkability - the real focus of this article - is essential for the liveability of any community. David has always had the common sense to understand the importance of a balanced transportation vision for local communities. I am very supportive of this effort, and the fact that it promotes greater awareness amongst our youth regarding this issue.
David Marks
2:49 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Jeff, thank you very much, and I was happy to see your son as part of the activities today.
thomas gary likens
3:03 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
mr.marks how about the widening of cowenton and forge rds. are all of those people happy about you supporting the widening of them???? iam sure thats not the case!!!
thomas gary likens
6:58 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
since when is a expressway a road with a sidewalk it does not seam that forge rd. or cross rd. or cowenton rd. are going to be deamed as expressways this is to make them safer so iam told!!!! they didnot seam to have any trouble widening the top part of chapel rd. maybe we should make that just to lanes .!!!
Bart
10:17 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
While I don't live in your area currently, many of my relatives do (both inlaws and outlaws), so I have a fondness for the neighborhood of Chapel Rd. Why is it you are the only one complaining? Might you have an alterior motive? You are so obviously complaining for your own benefit.
Nobody I know on Forge or Cowenton is complaining.
You appear to be a fool!
thomas gary likens
10:43 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
bart my motive is to make it safe it looks to me that your the fool if you think its safe ps looks as though you have about as muchcommon sence as the rest of the people that dont support making it safe or dont see aproblem with it!!!!! gary likens
Bart
10:59 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
ooohkay!
Perry Hall Mom
11:33 am on Friday, October 7, 2011
we can't allow our kids to walk to school anymore - thanks to the justice system who keeps letting violent criminals back out on our streets. they also need to straighten out this bussing system. kids are sitting on the floor of school busses because they are carrying too many students to school.
jimbo
2:35 pm on Wednesday, November 2, 2011
We must consider the underlying issues here; most importantly, can Mr. Marks start a lawnmower?