Shenandoah named one of four Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities in state
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - The sign at the Bridge Street side of Bicentennial Park.
SHENANDOAH – Our borough has been named as one of four communities in the Commonwealth selected as a Safe Routes to Parks Activating Community, Schuylkill County’s VISION announced Thursday.
Schuylkill County’s VISION spearheaded the application, which received approval from borough council last month. Shenandoah, VISION said, was selected from a competitive pool of nationwide applicants.
As part of the program, VISION said, Shenandoah will receive training and coaching from the Safe Routes Partnership “to develop an action plan for improving active travel to local parks and green spaces and implement early actions from the plan.”
“VISION is excited to bring this program to Shenandoah to improve the community’s parks and access to them through infrastructure improvements, clean-up efforts, and policy recommendations,” Mandy Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of Schuylkill County’s VISION, said in a release. “It is our hope that the action planning process will identify key barriers to connecting residents to parks and safe areas to recreate and provide viable solutions to address the barriers.”
“Additionally, we look forward to the assistance from Safe Routes Partnership to develop an action plan that can be used to not only address barriers but identify funding opportunities to continue the work initiated through this process,” Fitzpatrick added.
In 2014, VISION expanded their Healthy Schuylkill Communities program into Shenandoah to address access to healthy foods and opportunities for increased physical activity. Some projects completed in the past include four PA WalkWorks routes in the borough, health fairs, and park clean ups.
“We look forward to bringing community member previously involved to the table and inviting new members to assess the borough and develop an action plan with sustainable steps to improve the health and wellbeing for borough residents, businesses, employees, and visitors.” Fitzpatrick said.
Safe Routes to Parks initiatives work to improve safety and security for people walking, bicycling, and rolling to parks and green spaces.
Shenandoah, Thursday’s release said, is a PADEP Environmental Justice area where 20 percent of the population in a census tract lives in poverty or 30 percent or more is a minority.
The release said Shenandoah has two community parks within the borough, though there are three — Girard, Bicentennial, and Vine Street.
“The Safe Routes to Parks Pennsylvania Activating Communities program aims to remove barriers that make it challenging for people to enjoy the physical, social, and mental benefits that parks offer and proactively work toward ensuring safe, secure access to parks and open spaces,” the release said. “Over the long term, with increased safety and accessibility, Safe Routes to Parks seeks to increase park usage and improve health for people of all ages, races, abilities, and income levels.”
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