RELEASE DATE:                   Monday, March 27, 2023

MONTEREY COUNTY – The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) announced that the Greenfield City Council approved funding for Safe Routes to School projects for near-term implementation at their Council meeting on March 14, 2023. The projects recommended by the Greenfield Safe Routes to School Steering Committee will fill sidewalk gaps; and install crosswalks, curb ramps, high visibility signage, and flashing stop signs at locations through the city.

The four projects approved for funding are:

1.     12th Street Sidewalk between Oak and Elm Avenues: Install 0.24 miles of sidewalk, high visibility crosswalk, curb ramp, and flashing stop signs.

2.     Upgrade signs around all school campuses.

3.     12th Street between Cherry Avenue and Harvest Way: Install 0.12-mile sidewalk on 12th Street.

4.     Heidi Drive Crosswalk and Signage: Install high visibility crosswalk and school crossing signage.

The Greenfield Steering Committee, made up of residents, students, and community advocates, worked with the Safe Routes to School program partners and the City of Greenfield to develop a list of 21 street projects that would make it safer and more comfortable for children to get to and from schools in the city.  In December 2022, Greenfield community members voted on the list of projects. This voting process, known as “participatory budgeting” is intended to empower community members to help set priorities for public funding. Based upon the Greenfield PB Election Results,  the Steering Committee presented their recommendations to the City Council for funding and implementation. The Transportation Agency for Monterey County will provide a grant up to $250,000 to implement the projects that come out of the participatory budgeting process.

Greenfield is the first Monterey County community to do participatory budgeting as part of the Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan development. The cities of Gonzales, Soledad, and King City will also have the opportunity to  conduct a participatory budgeting process this year, where residents in each city will help determine how to spend $250,000 allocated for program safety improvements in their community.  

The Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan & Participatory Budgeting

 The Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan, developed by the Transportation Agency, Monterey County Health Department, Ecology Action, and the cities in South County, will identify barriers to safe access to all K-12 public schools in South County cities and recommend infrastructure and non-infrastructure improvements.

An important component of the Plan is the participatory budgeting process that is designed to fast-track funding and implementation of safe routes to school projects that are meaningful to community members. Through this participatory budgeting process, the community helped determine how to spend $250,000 allocated for program safety improvements through the Transportation Agency’s Safe Routes to School Program.

The Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan was funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant ($64,127) and Measure X Safe Routes to School fund ($126,501). For more information about  Greenfield Participatory Budgeting visit: https://bit.ly/GreenfieldPB;  the Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan;  or contact Aaron Hernandez, Assistant Transportation Planner, TAMC at 831 775-4412, aaron@tamcmonterey.org (Hablo español) or Janneke Strause , Transportation Planner, TAMC at 831 775-4410, janneke@tamcmonterey.org.

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 The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) is responsible for investing in regional transportation projects for Monterey County residents, businesses and visitors.  The mission of TAMC is to develop and maintain a multimodal transportation system that enhances mobility, safety, access, environment quality and economic activities in Monterey County. For more information visit www.tamcmonterey.org or call 831.775.0903.

 “The” Safe Route to School” is a TAMC program which offers tools, programming, and resources to schools, guardians, and communities aimed at improving safety and traffic around schools. The program’s goal is to keep every child safe and healthy by reducing the number of students involved in collisions to zero. For more information visit https://saferoutesmonterey.org”