The Yellowstone County Commissioner meeting on April 25, 2023, focused on the progress of the Safe Routes to School program, which aims to enhance pedestrian safety near schools. The discussion highlighted the importance of creating separation between sidewalks and roadways to protect children from traffic hazards.

Aaron, a representative involved in the program, explained that the initiative seeks to establish boulevards between roads and sidewalks, ensuring a safer environment for students. He acknowledged that while this is the ideal scenario, right-of-way constraints may pose challenges in some areas.

The meeting also addressed the need for traffic counts on sidewalks adjacent to schools to assess pedestrian activity. Aaron confirmed that data collection is feasible and mentioned that annual counts are available, along with trail counters that can be deployed to monitor pedestrian traffic.

The timeline for the project was outlined, indicating that public outreach activities took place in February and March, including visits to schools and community events. Currently, the team is conducting walk audits, which will continue for the next few weeks, with the final audit scheduled for May 21. Following this phase, data analysis and report writing will occur from June to August, with the goal of presenting a draft for approval in September and October.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to return with further updates and documentation in the coming months, emphasizing the collaborative effort to improve safety for students traveling to and from school.