Speed boards and bike racks mean safer routes to school | Eastern NC Now

For Immediate Release:

Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program and community partners implement modifications to encourage safer walking and biking to school

    GREENVILLE, N.C.     The Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP) at Vidant Medical Center has been working with the City of Greenville, the Greenville Police Department and the Pitt County Health Department's Communities Putting Prevention to Work Take Step Two grant to coordinate installation of speed boards and bike racks at schools throughout Pitt County.

    "We identified the schools to receive modifications through speed studies and recommendations from the City of Greenville and the Greenville Police Department," said Ellen Walston, ECIPP coordinator.

    Lakeforest Elementary, Wahl-Coates Elementary and J.H. Rose High School received speed boards through funding from Communities Putting Prevention to Work's Take Step Two grant.

    "The purpose of the speed board modifications is to alert drivers in the school zone in hopes of slowing down traffic," Walston said. "This will make walking and biking to school safer for our students. Final speed study results are not yet available; however, preliminary results show drivers are slowing down to a safer speed when passing through the school zones."

    Bike racks were installed at seven schools, including Wahl-Coates Elementary, A.G. Cox Middle, J.H. Rose High, H.B. Sugg Elementary, Sam D. Bundy Elementary, Farmville Middle, and Farmville High. Funding for the bike racks also came from a portion of Take Step Two's funds.

    Take Step Two is a community-based initiative that supports physical activity and nutrition in an effort to tackle the issue of obesity. Many initiatives, including those encouraging safer walking and biking to school, have been developed to promote physical activity among children and families. Pitt County Schools, Vidant Health, Safe Kids Pitt County and Safe Communities of Eastern Carolina, Inc. have collaborated to support Safe Routes to School initiatives.

    ECIPP is a joint effort of Vidant Medical Center and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. The mission of ECIPP is to decrease the incidence and severity of injuries to the people of eastern North Carolina. ECIPP accomplishes this mission by coordinating, facilitating, and implementing prevention projects aimed at young children and their families.

    Contact: Beth Anne Atkins, Vidant Health Strategic Development, (252) 847-7735 or beth.atkins@VidantHealth.com

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com.