Center — Crossing Colorado Highway 112 on foot can be a challenge for students in Center, but the young Vikings will have a safer route to school in the upcoming months. The first phase of construction begins in October, ultimately connecting a new sidewalk and bridge.

According to Center Consolidated Schools Superintendent Carrie Zimmerman, the project has been in development for years. District staff members crafted the Safe Routes to School plan and guided it to fruition. Center town officials and commissioners from Rio Grande and Saguache counties combined efforts to leverage local and federal funding.

To start, crews will connect a sidewalk from the east part of the property to the highway south of campus. Bridge construction over the ditch will require more time to complete. For crossing Highway 112, a crosswalk with embedded flashers in the asphalt will highlight the intersection. In the end, students will have a safer route to and from school next year.

In 2005, the first federal funding for Safe Routes to School sparked projects that are currently active across all 50 states. More than 14,000 schools have leveraged the program to improve safety for students while boosting infrastructure in communities. The Saguache Town Board, for example, is currently considering projects that merge Safe Routes to School funding with the ScSeed Street Scaping program. This approach beautifies the town while boosting safety for students.

In 2012, Congress merged multiple active transportation programs to create the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for children walking or riding bikes to school. For old-timers who claim they struggled uphill on foot in the snow every day, “active transportation” is a chuckle-worthy “alternative.” In 2015, TAP funding received five years of authorization (and may or may not be renewed this year). The sidewalk and bridge project in Center, however, is well underway with funding secured.

The route to school might be a walk through Center for some, but the current Open Enrollment period means more students can become Vikings from a distance. Until Oct. 9, students outside the Center Consolidated Schools district can enroll in the school. They can choose on-site or online options. Also, Zimmerman said current Center students can switch learning options during the Open Enrollment window. On-site students can change to online learning, and online learners can return to the building as well.