City of Kenton and Kenton City Schools Partner to Make Walking and Biking to School Safer

KENTON, Ohio — The City of Kenton and Kenton City Schools have joined forces to develop a School Travel Plan and pursue funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.

The goal is simple: make it safer and easier for Kenton students to walk and bike to school.

The partnership comes at an important time for the district. With the opening of the new Kenton Middle and High School building last December, all Kenton City Schools students now attend school on one campus. More students are traveling to the same location each day, which has increased the need for new and improved sidewalks, crossings, and lighting on the routes they use.

According to student address mapping prepared with ODOT, about 69 percent of the district’s 1,674 students live within two miles of campus — close enough that walking or biking can be a realistic option when safe routes are in place.

“Our students and families deserve safe ways to get to school, and this partnership lets the city and the schools tackle that together,” said Kenton Mayor Lynn Webb. “This plan will help us fill sidewalk gaps, improve key crossings, and make smart, long-term investments in our neighborhoods that benefit everyone who walks in Kenton.”

About Safe Routes to School

Safe Routes to School is a national movement that uses infrastructure, education, and encouragement to help K–12 students walk and bike to school safely. In Ohio, the program is administered by ODOT and funded at $5 million annually.

The program offers two types of funding:

• Infrastructure projects, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian signals, up to $1 million. The city serves as lead applicant, and ODOT may reimburse up to 100 percent of eligible costs, from engineering and design through construction. Projects must be within two miles of the school.

• Non-infrastructure projects, such as safety education, training materials, encouragement programs, and public awareness campaigns, up to $60,000 for a one-year project or $120,000 for a two-year project. The school district serves as lead applicant.

Beyond safety, walking and biking to school support students’ physical and mental health, reduce traffic congestion around campus, and give families more transportation choices.

“Bringing our students onto one campus has many advantages, but it also poses new challenges—especially in how they get to school each day.,” said Superintendent Chad Thrush. ” Seeing students walk along roads without sidewalks is a safety concern we need to address, and this plan gives us a clear path to make their trip to school much safer.”

The planning process

The first step is a School Travel Plan, which identifies how students get to school today, the barriers they face, and the projects and programs that would help most. A steering committee of city, school, police, and ODOT representatives began meeting this fall to identify primary walking and biking routes to campus and the biggest safety concerns along them. Early discussions have focused on sidewalk gaps, busy street crossings, and lighting along the campus walking path.

The plan also draws on input from families, staff, and students, including:

• A parent and caregiver survey on travel habits and safety concerns

• Classroom tallies of how students travel to and from school

• A principal survey on arrival, dismissal, and school travel policies

• Maps showing where students live in relation to campus

“Families know these routes better than anyone, and their input will shape what we prioritize,” said Kolt Buchenroth, Director of Communication and Safety for Kenton City Schools. “Once safe routes are in place, we’ll pair them with education so students and parents know the best and safest ways to get to campus.”

Once complete, the School Travel Plan will be presented to the Kenton City Schools Board of Education for approval and then submitted to ODOT. The city and district plan to apply for SRTS funding in the next application round, expected in early 2027.