Dinosaur tracks showing students the safe way to walk, bike to school

SALT LAKE CITY — Improving safety for young students walking or biking to class — Bike Utah and Salt Lake City are doing just that for students at Rose Park Elementary. On Thursday, they took dinosaur-sized steps to make it happen.

Dinosaur footprints are being painted on the sidewalk that students can follow and see the safest way to walk or bike to Rose Park Elementary. They're going in on Thursday, so kids can know where to go to avoid busy roads.

Each footprint marks the Rose Park Elementary Raptors' newly designated safe routes to school, directing kids away from dangerous roads like 900 West and 600 North.

"The more that we can shorten those crossing distances, help kids know where it's safe to cross, that will help us," said Mary Sizemore, Salt Lake City Transportation Engineer.

"It actually takes a little bit of work to determine where the safe routes are and how to get those routes as safe as possible," said Seth Cauman, Bike Utah Community and Engagement Manager.

Little Rose Park raptors already like them.

"Yeah, I think it'll make a lot of people feel safer, including me," said Rusty Fritz, a 5th Grader at Rose Park Elementary.

They reflect a community coming together to prioritize the path, stepping out of harm's way.

"I think it's important to support kids walking to school, it makes them healthier and happier, and I think it's a great project," said Megan Lopez, Rose Park Elementary's assistant coordinator of the Community Learning Center.

The raptor footprints are colorful, make the right route to school more accessible, and are expected to give even the youngest kids more confidence when they make their way to class.

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