RideWise Announces Somerset County 2026 Safe Routes to School Program Winners

Somerville, New Jersey — RideWise is pleased to announce that John F. Kennedy Primary School in Raritan and East End Elementary School in North Plainfield earned Silver recognition in the 2026 New Jersey Safe Routes to School Recognition Program. Safe Routes to School is a nationwide initiative administered by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) with the goal of making it safe for children to walk and bike to school. RideWise successfully collaborated with John. Kennedy F. Kennedy and East End Elementary on bike and walk to school programming to help the school achieve the Silver Level award.

Joy Griffith, East End Elementary’s School Nurse, spoke about the school’s continued dedication to safety education, “Becoming the nurse here, it’s important for me to promote safety for the students. [We saw that] students weren’t wearing helmets when they were riding a bike; they didn’t have the knowledge of crosswalks. So, for me, partnering with RideWise was right in line with what I needed. And it was giving more resources to the students.” East End Elementary’s Principal, Inez Simoes, shared, “Every school, their goal is safety. [T]he kids love it and engage.

How can we go wrong?”

Safe Routes to School recognition is valid for three years, after which applicants must reapply to maintain their status. The deadline for applications for the next recognition cycle is January 31, 2027.

To learn more about RideWise’s Safe Routes to School involvement, visit www.ridewise.org

or find us on Facebook @RideWise Inc or Instagram @ridewisetma.

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