Active Transportation Alliance is partnering with the McHenry County Division of Transportation to do outreach work to young people as part of the McHenry County 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan. The project launched last week, engaging high school students around transportation issues in order to gain feedback and insight into student transportation needs.
The program, lasting approximately eight weeks at each school, is structured so students gain all the necessary knowledge to create practical and innovative suggestions for the Long Range Transportation Plan. Students start out by investigating various issues related to transportation, including the need to accommodate all road and transportation users. They then gain technical knowledge and advocacy training to create practical suggestions to be used by the County as they do their planning work.
More than 50 students at four high schools (Crystal Lake Central, Marengo, Prairie Ridge, and Woodstock) have already began participating in the program, and McHenry West students will begin on October 11. Instruction is being supplied by a mix of Active Trans staff and classroom teachers. Some schools will also participate in a field trip and/or interact with local transportation officials.