Over the last two years, WALKSacramento has worked closely to promote safe routes to school with eight school communities across the region through the California Department of Public Health Paving the Way for Safe Routes to School grant. Alongside education and encouragement events like Bike to School Day and bike rodeos, WALKSacramento organized and led community walk audits and traffic observations at each school to address barriers to safe walking and biking to school. These led to recommendations to the schools, community, school districts, and local public works departments. The ultimate goal was to make the streets around each school safer for walking and biking. Several successes are highlighted below:
- Sacramento County Department of Transportation is applying for an infrastructure grant through the Active Transportation Program (ATP) for Hurley Way and Morse Avenue near Thomas Edison Language Institute. The grant proposes to add several segments of sidewalks along routes most used by students to get to and from school. Over twenty percent of students use active transportation to get to and from school.
- Yuba County Public Works is applying for an infrastructure grant through the ATP for 7th Avenue near Ella Elementary School. The grant proposes to add sidewalks and bike lanes along 7th Avenue leading up to the school. Over twenty-five percent of students walk or bike to Ella Elementary.
- In 2014, Yuba County was awarded a $1.1 million ATP grant for safe routes to school infrastructure near Ella Elementary. The project will add bicycle and pedestrian facilities and a median island on 7th Avenue from Olivehurst Avenue to Powerline Road. The project will improve safety and mobility for students walking to and from school.
- South Ione Street near Ione Elementary was reconstructed from State Route 104 to the school.
- Placer County Department of Public Works provided Auburn Elementary with a portable “Yield to Pedestrians within the Crosswalk” sign near the schools busy intersection.
WALKSacramento worked with schools and communities to select designated safe routes and promote events in several counties, including Yuba, Yolo, Placer, Amador, and Sacramento County. Local partners included school administrators, public works representatives, neighborhood groups, law enforcement, Safe Kids coalition members, Spare the Air Scooter, FedEx, and UPS.
On May 6, 2015, students throughout the Sacramento region participated in International Bike to School Day. This energizing event encourages students and parents to bike or walk to school and promotes healthy and active transportation by teaching participants about the health and environmental benefits of biking and walking. Students and parents were encouraged to form bike trains and walking school buses and use designated safe routes to walk or bike to school where they received prizes and educational material. Over 500 students and parents came out to bike, walk, and ride their scooters to school.
Each school’s event also raised awareness about safe routes to schools, bicycle and pedestrian education, and the importance of safe bike-able and walkable communities. Over the last two years, WALKSacramento has worked closely to promote safe routes to school with 8 school communities across the region through the California Department of Public Health Paving the Way for Safe Routes to School grant. Alongside education and encouragement events like Bike to School Day and bike rodeos, WALKSacramento organized and led community walk audits and traffic observations at each school to address barriers to safe walking and biking to school. These led to recommendations to the schools, community, school districts, and local public works departments. The ultimate goal was to make the streets around each school safer for walking and biking.
