VAIL VALLEY, Colorado — Roughly 20 Vail Valley parents and community members convened this past Thursday to conduct a safety audit of sidewalks, walking and biking paths, and traffic on Miller Ranch Road and surrounding intersections in Edwards in order to better gauge if kids in the area have safe routes to school. The school district and Eagle County have applied for a Colorado Safe Routes to School grant.

Between June Creek Elementary School, Berry Creek Middle School, Eagle County Charter Academy, Battle Mountain High School and Red Canyon High School, 1,600 students and their parents travel to and from school on Miller Ranch Road. In fact, a traffic count in July, before schools were in session, tabulated more than 2,600 car trips per day along Miller Ranch Road. Most likely, these car trips have more than doubled since schools were in session.

The grant could fund things like bicycles lanes, crosswalks, paths, sidewalks and traffic control devices.

“In cooperation with Eagle County Schools, Eagle County is excited about this particular potential funding opportunity, as it will assure children are traveling to and from school safely,” states Greg Schroeder, Eagle County senior engineer.

A ‘bicycle rodeo' is one example of an educational project that grant could fund. Instead of horses and lassoes, ‘bicycle rodeos' consist of bicycle safety clinics with obstacle course and helmet fittings.

For more information, please contact Holly Woods, grant writer and fundraising coordinator for Eagle County schools, at holly.woods@eagleschools.net.