Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

Today is National Seat Check Saturday! 🚗 If you ever drive with children, make sure that they have a seat that fits them well and that it is correctly installed in your car. Visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/car-seats-and-booster-seats if you're unsure whether you have the right seat or for more information, and help to protect the children you love.

The Heatstroke Prevention campaign ends September 30, 2024. Be sure to stop and look before you lock your car.

Pitch in for the park! Help keep Sedgwick County Park in great condition! On Saturday, September 21, from 9 am to noon is National Clean Up Day. Volunteers are needed, so that we all can make a difference and keep the park a clean and fantastic place for everyone!

Kansas Safe Routes to School provides resources and helps communities across Kansas create safe and fun opportunities for children and their families to walk, bike, and roll to and from school. They have extended the deadline for their survey to end on September 30, 2024. Please help Kansas SRTS make their plan the best it can be for Kansas communities by taking this survey, https://saferoutes.ksdot.gov/

Roundabouts can reduce fatal and serious injuries by up to 82 percent at intersections. Committed to enhancing roadway safety for all road users, the FHWA is raising awareness about roundabouts and their safety benefits during National Roundabout Week, Sept. 16-20.

The public is invited to attend the open house for a corridor study of K-15 between Derby and Wichita on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 4-6pm. It will be held at The Venue in Derby's Madison Avenue Central Park. The open house will allow attendees to review the early project data, provide input, and ask questions. This is the first of three meetings to be held before the study is complete in the spring of 2025.

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 15!

September 15-21 is Child Passenger Safety Week! Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children. Double-check that your kids are in the right seats and that the seats are installed correctly.

It's finally the first day of WAMPO's Bicycle-Pedestrian Count! There are volunteers at different locations in the WAMPO area. Volunteers don't forget your materials at home! 😄

WAMPO's Bicycle-Pedestrian Count begins tomorrow, September 11, 2024. Thank you to everyone volunteering! If you haven't already, please come pick up materials at WAMPO's office: 217 W 3rd St, Suite 208, Wichita, KS 67202. If you have any questions, please visit our website at www.wampo.org/bicycle-pedestrian

Everyone is welcome to attend our 9/10/24 TPB meeting! To view our agenda or for online meeting access, visit wampo.org/transportation-policy-body
We'll see you there!

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) public comment period opens tomorrow, September 9, 2024. The UPWP describes the transportation planning and programming activities for the year and complies with the Federal Planning regulations.

The KDOT Cost Share Program provides financial assistance to local entities for transportation projects that help areas across the state improve the transportation system. Applications are due September 19, 2024. To find out more, please visit https://www.ksdot.gov/CostShare/CostShareProgram.asp

Road rage is dangerous and can cause serious incidents to occur. Learning to control your road rage can help prevent accidents on the road. WAMPO cares about your safety.

WAMPO will be closed today; have a happy and safe Labor Day! If you need to reach us, you can email [email protected] and we will get back to you when we return. To see other upcoming office closures, wampo.org/events.

Join WAMPO for the 2024 Bike-Ped Count on September 11, 12, and 14! For more information and volunteer registration, please visit www.wampo.org/bicycle-pedestrian

The 2024 Bike-Ped Count begins soon! Please join WAMPO for the event by visiting www.wampo.org/bicycle-pedestrian

Kansas traffic crash deaths is slowly decreasing, but the number of deaths is still high. This data has been collected starting from the beginning of the year to the present. To learn more about the Drive To Zero, please visit https://bit.ly/Dive-to-Zero-Dashboard.

The 2024 Bike-Ped Count begins September 11, 2024! Join WAMPO and other volunteers at www.wampo.org/bicycle-pedestrian

Is your vehicle safe from a recall? Ensure that it is by visiting https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls . You can also check if your car seats, tires, or other vehicle equipment have been recalled.

WAMPO's Summer 2024 Newsletter is out now! Check it out and learn more about us and what we do at www.wampo.org/newsletters-updates.

WAMPO's Annual Bicycle & Pedestrian Count is happening soon! Please consider signing up at our website, www.wampo.org/bicycle-pedestrian. For more information, contact Dora Gallo at [email protected] or call 316-779-1315.

With school starting back up and school buses making frequent stops in your neighborhood again, it's important to remember to stop behind a school bus when it is picking up or dropping off students.

DO NOT try to pass around the bus instead; you won't be able to see any students walking in front of the bus and into the street (first photo). Don't continue driving until the bus has put down its stop sign and begun driving, like the driver in the second photo is doing.

Sedgwick County wants to hear from you! Join us for Sedgwick County's Annual Public Budget Hearings and have your say on the 2025 recommended budget. The next hearing is Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. in the Lower-Level Auditorium at 100 N. Broadway. Don't miss your chance to voice your opinion heard before the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) vote on the budget Aug. 21.

What do you think the Kansas Safe Routes to School program should be focusing on? What gets in the way of more students walking, biking, and rolling in your community? We want to know!

The Kansas Routes to School (SRTS) Program is creating its first Strategic Action Plan to guide our work over the next five years and is rolling out a survey to ask about current SRTS efforts, opportunities, and needs to help us create a plan that works for all K-12 students, families, and stakeholders across the state.

Take the survey at https://tinyurl.com/KDOT-SRTS-survey by August 30th. Help us create a plan that will help SRTS efforts grow in our community!

The first phase of the Meridian Avenue Reconstruction Project has been completed! Please join the City of Valley Center on August 16, 2024, at 10 AM for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony will be held in the 500 block on Meridian and public parking will be available at First United Methodist Church.

As the school year kicks off, please remember to follow these important safety tips. Let's help keep our students, (your child, niece, nephew, grandchild, brother, and sister) safe this school year.
1️⃣ **Use Designated Crosswalks:** Encourage students to cross the street at designated crosswalks and intersections. These areas are specifically designed to provide a safe passage for pedestrians, ensuring better visibility for both drivers and students.
2️⃣ **Look Both Ways:** Remind students to always look left, right, and left again before crossing the road. Encourage them to make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they are seen and to avoid distractions such as headphones or electronic devices.
3️⃣ **Walk with a Buddy:** Encourage students to walk to school with a friend or in groups whenever possible. This not only promotes companionship but also enhances visibility and safety.
4️⃣ **Stay on Sidewalks:** Advise students to use sidewalks whenever available. If there are no sidewalks, they should walk facing traffic, as this allows them to see oncoming vehicles and react accordingly.
5️⃣ **Be Visible:** Encourage students to wear bright or reflective clothing, especially during early morning or late afternoon hours when visibility may be reduced. This simple step can significantly increase their visibility to drivers.

Everyone is welcome to attend our 8/15/24 Executive Committee meeting! To view the agenda or for online meeting access, visit www.wampo.org/executive-committee

Ready to promote active and safe travel to school? This resource provides a step-by-step guide to starting a walk or bike to school program. Find valuable tips and solutions: https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34276/Walk-and-Bike-to-School-Flyer-PDF

Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

Everyone is welcome to attend our 8/13/24 TPB meeting! To view our agenda or for online meeting access, visit wampo.org/transportation-policy-body
We'll see you there!