Last fall, Zendrive launched #FundMyStreets, a program designed to support local solutions to local traffic safety programs.
Lyft, Uber, Juno, HopSkipDrive, Bird, Lime, StopDistractions.org, Together for Safer Roads and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) partnered with Zendrive to invite communities across the country to send their innovative and impactful proposals to make change where they live.
Finalists Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet in St. Louis will each receive $25,000 for their projects to improve traffic safety in their communities!
Walk Bike Nashville will use the grant to fund a project that combines community engagement, temporary physical traffic calming features, and public art to address issues such as speeding, hard braking and cell phone use around Amqui Elementary school.
The community will explore tactical urbanism solutions that include student-designed yard signs around the school, intersection treatments like traffic circles and rumble strips, and an “art crosswalk” installation to mitigate neighborhood traffic problems by encouraging drivers to slow down and concentrate in the school zone.
In St. Louis, Trailnet will use the grant to build state-of-the-art curb extensions at two key intersections next to Froebel Literacy Academy. These curb extensions will include updated curb ramps for accessibility, high visibility crosswalks, and increased signage telling drivers that they will encounter children crossing the street at these locations.
The goal is to increase stop compliance around the school and highlight the need for people driving to be aware of the large portion of the students who walk to school.
“The creativity that both Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet have shown in their submissions, along with their commitment to working with young people to raise awareness and take meaningful steps to improve safety, is truly inspiring,” said Jonathan Matus, Zendrive co-founder and CEO.
“As a new dad, I feel the need to improve traffic safety more urgently than ever; roads should be safe enough for people of all ages and abilities to move around freely and without fear.”
“The safety of our community is Lyft’s top priority, and we are proud to support #FundMyStreets as a part of this effort,” said Ed Hutchison, safety partnerships manager at Lyft, a member of Together for Safer Roads. “We are thrilled to recognize Walk Bike Nashville and St. Louis’ Trailnet as grant recipients, and the important, innovative work they are doing to improve their neighborhoods. Together, we can help make our streets, sidewalks, and communities safer for everyone to enjoy.”
“As part of our holistic commitment to safety, we are strong advocates for infrastructure changes that make streets safer for everyone – whether they’re walking, riding, or driving,” said Emily Warren, Lime’s Senior Director of Policy and Public Affairs. “The winning ideas proposed by Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet are creative approaches that will improve road safety for young people accessing local schools, while serving as great examples for cities across the nation seeking to design safer, more liveable communities.”
“Homegrown solutions to distracted and reckless driving are some of the most effective ways to save lives,” said Jennifer Smith, CEO of StopDistractions.org. “Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet’s work will speak directly to people all around Nashville and St. Louis and will catalyze safer behavior behind the wheel.”
“We’re excited to see students of all ages work on Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet’s plans to make it safer for them to get to school every day,” said SADD CEO Rick Birt. “This sets a great example for young people on how they can make a change in their community. “
“Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet’s projects are stellar examples of communities leading by example,” said David Braunstein, president of Together for Safer Roads. “We’re going to follow the project implementations closely to bring lessons to our own Safer Cities program.”
Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet emerged as the strongest proposals out of twenty-two #FundMyStreets finalists. Judges from the partner organizations reviewed each proposal’s likelihood of improving safety, the feasibility of execution based on resources and timelines, and clarity and passion added by each applicant’s 30-second video. This is the program’s first year, and over 300 organizations expressed interest in participating.
In November, Zendrive, the leader in driving behavior data, founded the #FundMyStreets partnership to empower local solutions to these local problems. The company’s Distracted Driving Snapshot found that driver phone use is 100 times worse than official estimates. In addition, its School Safety Snapshot found that unsafe driving is rampant around US schools, meaning that this behavior is not restricted to highways—it’s in everyone’s backyard.
Walk Bike Nashville and Trailnet will be working over the coming months to implement their plans. Zendrive and the #FundMyStreets program will report on their progress in the coming months so that safe streets advocates everywhere can learn from their activity.
