Two Deer Creek Elementary Schools may soon see improvements that will encourage more students to walk and bike to school. The improvements are part of a plan called ôGet Youth Moving in Deer CreekÆö (GYM in DC) submitted by Oklahoma County District 3 on behalf of Deer Creek Schools. The plan is part of the ôSafe Routes to School Programö, a unique 100% federally funded safety program, which allows communities to apply for funding for local  safety projects and educational initiates. The Safe Routes program facilitates the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities to improve safety and reduce traffic around primary and middle schools, lessening fuel consumption and air pollution.
The current application calls for additional sidewalks and bicycle facilities around Prairie Vale and Deer Creek Elementary Schools.
Fewer children are walking to school
Safety issues are a big concern for parents, who consistently cite traffic danger as a reason why their children are unable to bike or walk to school. A decline in walking and biking has had an adverse effect on traffic congestion and air quality around local schools as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety. As a result, children who lead a less active lifestyle are at a higher risk for a variety of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The main purpose of the GYM in DC program is to encourage and enable children to walk and bicycle to school. Providing paths, security and safety education make those activities safer and more appealing.
Documenting and monitoring statistics before and after the program will support the evaluation and possibility of similar future projects.
 Successful plans are funded fully with money made available through a competitive application process administered by OklahomaÆs Department of Transportation. This is a two-step process. Oklahoma County completed Phase I, the submission of a ôTravel Planö, in February 2008. The Travel Plan is an outline of the communityÆs plan to make active transportation to and from school more sustainable and safer for students. The County collected information from surveys submitted by both students and parents. The County also studied such issues as traffic congestion, safety, and bus routes, for consideration during the planning stage.
ODOT reviewed and approved the GYM in DC travel plan and will now move on to Phase II û the consideration of cost estimate applications. These are due by June 12, with final selection made by early September 2008.
You can find more information on the Safe Routes to School Program at http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/srts
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