Safe Routes to Schools Success Stories
Oregon’s kids walk and bike to school
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Across Oregon, schools, school districts and municipalities are implementing programs that make walking and biking more safe, convenient and fun for students. Below is a small sampling of stories in regions that are doing extraordinary things!
Reynolds School District Develops a Traffic Safety Curriculum
In east Multnomah County, Reynolds School District staff developed a Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) traffic safety curriculum, which weaves bicycle and pedestrian safety into existing, required curriculum for Kindergarten through second grade. The GLAD curriculum promotes an educational setting that produces effective, literate citizens of a global society. The units will eventually be shared on Schoology (a popular learning management system for educators) as a free resource for other educators.
Prineville School District Teaches Bicycle Safety Education
Working with Commute Options and The Street Trust (formerly The Bicycle Transportation Alliance) the Crook County Health Department has developed their own bike and pedestrian program. An AmeriCorps Vista volunteer is focusing on walking school buses, bike trains, and special events, along with limited bicycle and pedestrian safety education during PE. The Street Trust’s Jumpstart Program has also assisted with the development and sustainability of the program.
Bend Implements a Pilot Transit Education Program
This fall, Commute Options, in partnership with Cascade East Transit and the Bend LaPine School District, led a pilot Transit Safety Program at Elk Meadow Elementary. Students learned how to cross the street safely, how to interact with traffic, and how to ride the public bus. They then went on a field trip to put their lessons into practice. During the “Why Bus?” debrief, students brainstormed reasons to ride:
- It saves money
- It’s fun
- Everybody can do it
- It’s fast
- It helps with traffic
- It’s good for the environment
- It’s good for our town
The program reached 84 2nd-grade students, 15 parent volunteers and 4 teachers.
PTO President in Springfield Wins Fire Up Your Feet Award
From a successful Jog-a-thon, to repainting bike racks, and recording a public service video about safe crosswalk use, the PTO at Elizabeth Page Elementary School has been busy! PTO president Darla Robbins introduced the Fall 2016 Fire Up Your Feet Challenge and National Walk and Bike to School Day to her school and made fitness tracking fun and possible at a time when rainy weather starts reducing physical activity. When more than 100 paper tracking sheets were turned in, Darla and fellow mom Mary Thomson spent many hours inputting each family’s active minutes. With support from Springfield Safe Routes to School, Darla continues to be a role model for active volunteerism at Page Elementary, helping students and families bring out their inner champion and excel!
Washington County Studies School Access Needs on County Roads
The 2016 Washington County School Access Improvement Study evaluated access and safety needs for 53 public schools that are significantly impacted by County roads. In collaboration with schools and district transportation staff, the County identified and prioritized improvement projects to provide the most benefit to students and their families traveling to school. The County now has an inventory of needs and a consensus list of projects ready to leverage funding and grant opportunities.