Beaverton Safe Routes to School

We're starting off the year with a brief introduction to Safe Routes to School (SRTS).

Safe Routes to School is a national effort to encourage students and families to walk, bicycle, and bus to school. In Beaverton, we inform our communities that our goal is to create opportunities to make walking, biking, and busing safe, convenient, and fun. We use the motto: Walk, Bike, Bus... It's the way to go!

The Beaverton SRTS program is housed within the BSD Transportation Department. Our program receives generous grants from Metro, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the City of Beaverton. Our team is led by full-time coordinator, Leah Biado-Luis and assisted by three part-time coordinators.

There are numerous benefits for active travel to school. Here are some of them:

• Kids who are active perform 20% better at school and arrive with an increased ability to focus.
• While 93% of BSD students qualify for busing or reside within the walkable area, 30% are driven to school - that's more than 12,000 extra cars on the road daily and about 23,500 pounds of carbon emissions.
• Walking and rolling increases traffic safety with less congestion in parking lots and more students walking together makes them more visible.
• Kids who walk or bike to school are getting about 2/3 of the recommended 60 min. of daily physical activity which increases both physical and mental health.
• Walking and rolling strengthens community connections and allows time to connect with your kids and neighbors.

Here are some of the many services our program provides:

• Pedestrian and bicycle safety lessons taught during elementary PE classes.
• Communication tools to encourage safe, active transportation to schools.
• Action plans that target infrastructure improvements like sidewalks, school crossings, and street lighting.
• After school bike rodeos to assist with bike safety skills, helmet fittings and bike tune ups.
• Creating school community programs like Walking School Buses, Bike Buses and Park and Walk locations.
• Creating suggested walking routes and parking lot procedure maps for every school.
• Student travel and parent surveys to inform our program and track progress.
• Events to encourage more people to try walking and rolling to school!

The new, and improved, messaging toolkit is here! This is your one-stop resource for all of your Safe Routes to School communication and event planning needs.

New for this year:

1. We've included all graphics and articles for you to share in English and Spanish within the same document.
2. We've included all of our Walk + Roll events for the year with dates, planning guides, promotional materials, and registration links for any of our options events. (We hope this helps you plan ahead.)
3. We've included suggested sharing dates for information in case this also helps you plan ahead and organize better.

If you are new to our toolkit, this is meant as a resource for schools and PTO groups to share safety and encouragement tips for travel to school. We have found a direct correlation between schools that regularly post these articles and a reduced rate of single car trips taken to and from schools. There is a lot of great information within this document, we hope you find the time to look through it and see how it can help your community.

Speaking of events, here they are!!! Each event now has a planning page to walk you through everything you need to know. You can add dates to your school calendars and register for optional events early, so you don't miss out on prizes.

October 4th International Walk + Roll to School Day

November 14th Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

January 2024 Walk + Roll Art Contest

February 12-16 Love the Bus Week

March 13th Winter Walk + Roll Day

April 21st Earth Day

May 6-10 Bike to School Week

The Walking School Bus is a supervised group of students who walk to school together from a meeting spot. Students earn prizes, make friends, and get to know their neighborhood. Walking together makes the trip to school significantly safer, easier, and more fun. Parents can join the walk, or drop their student off with the Walking School Bus volunteer, making this a convenient option for working families. Now is the time to start thinking about coordinating a Walking School Bus for the fall. Learn more on our website: www.beaverton.k12.or.us/safe-routes

Did you know that you can earn money while walking to school? Visit our SRTS Micro-Grant guide and apply for a $500 grant from Metro. Need help? Contact us, we are happy to assist you with your application.

Back to school planning includes deciding how your student will travel to school this fall. As you consider your options, Beaverton Safe Routes to School invites you to familiarize yourself with the various tools on our website including:

• Suggested walk and bike routes for each school
• Safety tips for all modes of travel (walk, bike, bus, car)
• Arrival/Departure maps for each school (how students who travel by foot, bus and car should arrive and leave school)

The safety of our students depends on you! To learn more visit: www.beaverton.k12.or.us/safe-

routes

Email: leah_biado-luis@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/transportation/safe-routes-to-school
Phone: 503-356-4274
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonSafeRoutes

Beaverton Safe Routes to School is made possible with the support from City of Beaverton, Metro and Oregon Department of Transportation. Thank you!