City of Dayton receives federal grant for a small-scale traffic garden to teach kids pedestrian, traffic safety


A $25,000 federal grant will fund a small-scale safety town, known as a traffic garden, in Dayton for children in low-income communities to learn about pedestrian and traffic safety through hands-on activities.

Photos are examples of traffic gardens

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) funded projects in three states to work with community-based groups representing underserved populations to provide safe youth mobility options like walking, biking or riding a scooter. The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety is partnering with Tri-State Trails on the traffic garden project.

“As a dad, it is so important to me that every single Kentuckian child has access to safe outdoor spaces and I am grateful for this grant that will improve bike and pedestrian safety for children across our Commonwealth,” said Gov. Andy Beshear.

Tri-State Trails is an alliance of community advocates advancing a vision to connect and expand Northern Kentucky’s trail and bikeway network.

“Traffic gardens are an interactive space where children can have fun, be active and learn about traffic safety,” said Wade Johnston, Executive Director of Tri-State Trails. “We’re excited to partner with Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, GHSA, NRSF, and the City of Dayton to create this unique educational feature for the public to enjoy, just off the Riverfront Commons trail in Dayton.”

Upon completion, the traffic garden will be used to teach students bicycle handling skills, road patterns and safety precautions in a safe environment that is separated from motor vehicle traffic.

“We’re excited to see how this project will benefit young Kentuckians in the Dayton community,” said Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray. “Teaching children how to stay safe early in life is one approach to help reduce crashes and pedestrian incidents in the future. This project will complement other initiatives the Cabinet is undertaking to boost accessibility and safety for all modes of travel.”

“The City of Dayton has been undergoing efforts to make our city more pedestrian- and bike- friendly, including slowing down traffic on our streets and educating the driving public about how to share our streets with these individuals,” said Dayton Mayor Ben Baker.

“The new traffic garden proposed for Gil Lynn Park will promote these goals and provide a beautiful, interactive space for children and families to discuss the importance of traffic safety in a fun and engaging way and make our community a safer place.”


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