| Our Fall Newsletter is now online! - Back to School season is upon us. For those of you with students in your lives this time of year is both exciting and stressful. It also presents a great opportunity to set positive habits for your family that will last the year. |
| Portland Sun Cycle - Srijana's experience leading Sun Cycle |
| October 6 International Walk + Bike to School Day -- Sign-Up Today to get your FREE incentives! |
| Getting New Experiences with Safe Routes to School |
| Ooops! - Cringe-inducing typo outside N.C. school - via Yahoo! News Well, here's something to make your old English teacher gasp in horror: A road contractor hired to paint the word "school" on a freshly paved stretch of road near Southern Guilford High School in North Carolina rendered the traffic area in question a "shcool" zone. |
| Getting to Kindergarten, the Long Way |
| Safe Routes to School needs a new t-shirt design! |
| Transit to Trails - Why not use TriMet to get the family outside this summer? |
| Report from the Safe Routes Ambassadors - James John students rode by a group of people during their community ride who asked, “What is this? Why aren’t you in school” to which a student replied, “This is school!” |
| Safe Routes to Water Fun! - Here's the Safe Routes secret recipe for staying active and having fun in the heat... |
| Safety Vests for Students -- Come and Get 'Em! - 40 reflective safety vests are available for school groups to borrow for events or programs |
| Congratulations Walk + Bike Challenge Winners! - Five Portland schools top the charts of May's Walk + Bike Challenge Month |
| Mrs. Porter's 4th Graders Graduate Bike Safety... - Mayor Sam Adams along with Oregon Legislators join 4th graders from Humboldt Elementary School on a ride through neighborhood streets, show off skills and bomb down a grassy hill. |
| Southwest & East Portland Sidewalk Infill Project - Learn about Safe Routes schools benefiting from 2 miles of sidwalk infill; construction to begin June 2010. |
| Laurelhurst's Alternative Transportation Week - Read an essay by 6th grader Camille Sullivan about Alternative Transportation Week |
| Bridger K-8 Students and Families are "Living La Vida Healthy" - Learn about Bridger K-8s recent health and sustainable living fair |
| Pedalpalooza Family Bike Rides - 2+ weeks of bike fun with 29 family friendly events |
| TV Coverage from N. Sunday Parkways - Hope you made it to our event on May 16th - either way I think you'll enjoy this video.... |
| Our summer newsletter is now online! - IN THIS ISSUE: Free summer fun at Sunday Parkways; FREE helmets at Ready Rider; How Did the 2nd Grader Cross the Street?; New Covered Bike Parking; Maze Puzzle; T-shirt Design Contest; and more! |
| Report to City Council - It is always exciting to have the opportunity to share our work with our City's elected leaders and Safe Routes was particularly fortunate to have two of our excellent partners to testify. |
| California Update: Scrapperbikes - Check out this Oakland group, their vision, and their wheels! |
| Walk + Bike Challenge Month: It's On! - Check out all the Portland area schools participating... |
| Report from the Netherlands - Every year in April some 200,000 school children in the Netherlands take a "Verkeersexamen" (traffic test). The 12 year olds will start secondary school in the following school year. An overwhelming majority of these children will get to secondary school on their bicycles. |
| Need a helmet? Check out all these great upcomming events! - Our calendar is chock full of rides and events where you can pick up free or low cost bike helmets for young people and adults alike. |
| Sunday Parkways needs you! - Safe Routes encourages you to volunteer for Sunday Parkways this summer... |
| What if you had to walk 3 hours to get to school? - The Bicycles for Humanity collection is this Saturday, April 24 at the old Washington-Monroe High School on SE 14th and SE Alder from 10am-4pm. They will be collecting used (but in good condition) mountain bikes, cruisers, parts, tools, bike accessories, and monetary donations. |
| Bike Boulevards - Hip, Hip, Hoorah! - Learn about the next generation of bike boulevards and make your support heard -- public discussions happening now! |
| Let's Do Lunch! - April's Bike Brown Bag - Understanding Barriers to Bicycling |
| High School/College Walk+Bike Challenge - The Bicycle Transportation Alliance has completed their work on the walknbikechallenge.org website, where older students can login in and track trips the webby way. |
| Bike Bell Recall - It has come to our attention that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall on a bicycle bell we provided through the Safe Routes to School SmartTrips program during the 2007-2008 (bell pictured here). |
| For Portland Students, It's Bike Time - In Portland, Spring Break is behind us, and that means our fleet of bicycles is out of storage and moving around from school to school. |
| Two Safe Routes-related jobs open at the BTA - The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), our contracted education provider, has two open positions that are Safe Routes related. |
| Safety Tip of the Month - ABC Quick Check for Fun! - Spring is here! Are you jumping on your bike for the first time in awhile? If so, do the "ABC Quick Check for Fun." |
| Summer Bike Camps and Other Activities - Stay active this summer! Opportunties to hone bike skills and participate in other active recreation classes. |
| We're Installing Bike Shelters... - After much work planning and permitting, four of our partner schools are getting covered bike parking installed over the next few weeks. |
| It's Time to Register: Walk + Bike Challenge Month - Over 40 schools have registered for Walk + Bike Challenge Month! Sign your school up today! |
| Google Maps now with Bike Routes - Now you can use maps.google.com to plan your transit, walking, and biking trips! |
| Bike First! registration is open! - The Bike First! helps children with disabilities or special needs gain stability to master the skills needed to balance and steer a two-wheeled bicycle |
| Fix-It Fair: "If We Fix It, They Will Ride" - Nearly fifty happy bike owners rolled away from the three Portland Fix-It Fairs this year with better, safer functioning bikes - for FREE! |
| Have you placed your SmartTrips to School order? - If you have a 2nd or 5th grade student in your family, be sure to look for your SmartTrips order form in the mail this February. |
| $5 Booster Seats - New Dates - No Back Booster Seats are available to families in the Portland Safer Routes to School Program for $5.00. |
| Transportation Safety Summit followup - Over 200 people from all over the city converged at the White Stag building to discuss and debate transportation safety challenges and opportunities. |
| PRESS RELEASE: SR2S gets half-million-dollar grant - The Portland Bureau of Transportation announced today that its Safe Routes to School program received a $495,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation to keep children safe as they walk and bike to and from school. |
| We Have a Winner! - It was hard to pick just one winner for our Student Essay Contest, but congratulations to Gabriela Campos Gonzalez, a 5th grader at Bridlemile Elementary, for her very thoughtful essay |
| Why Don't Teenage Girls in England Cycle Anymore? - Thanks to Kirsty for sharing this interesting short film exploring the barriers to cycling in England for young women. |
| Our Spring Newsletter is Out! - IN THIS ISSUE: Student Essay Contest Winner!; Walk + Bike Challenge Month; Trainings Calendar; Free SmartTrips Materials; Funding for Safety Projects; an Einstein Quote Decoding Puzzle; and more! |
| We're Number 1! - Portland had more schools participate in National Walk and Bike to School Day than any other major U.S. city (47.3 schools on a 3-yr average). |
| Teens Less Excited About Driving? - The GOOD blog pointed us to this interesting article in The Washington Post about teens holding out on getting their driver's license. |
| Healthy Benefits of Walking and Biking to School by Dr. Jennifer Rupert, MD - What do walking and biking to school have to do with obesity, mental health, and asthma? A lot! |
| Honorable Mention #8 - Take a peak at budding environmentalist Shealan's essay below. Shealan's essay received an Honorable Mention from our judges in our Student Essay Contest. |
| Honorable Mention #7 - Check out Chelsea's (7th grader, Roseway Heights) excellent essay entitled, "Walking & Biking to School is Important & Fun Especially in the Rain" below. It also received an Honorable Mention from our judges. |
| Honorable Mention #6 - Terrell, Lewis Elementary 5th Grader, is our next Honorable Mention in our Student Essay Contest. |
| Walk + Bike Challenge Month is coming! - Oregon schools are gearing up for the third annual Walk + Bike to School Challenge, a friendly competition that encourages students to walk and bike to school for the whole month of May. |
| Honorable Mention #5 - Astor Elementary 5th Grader Payton is next up as an Honorable Mention in our Student Essay Contest. Our judges enjoyed the humor in Payton's essay and also how well he described the feeling and sound of being in the rain. |
| Honorable Mention #4 - Here's another great Honorable Mention from our Student Essay Contest. Read Wyatt's essay below which speaks to the simple joys of speeding through puddles... |
| Canadian School Designated "Walking Only" - Kicking off the new year in a bold way, Ontario's newest elementary school has been designated "walking only." It is apparently the first school in Canada to adopt such a policy. |
| Honorable Mention #3 - Honorable Mentions from our Student Essay Contest continue (in no particular order). Read Urmi's essay below, which our judges appreciate for it's clarity and thoughtfulness. |
| Honorable Mention #2 |
| The Results Are In: Safe Routes Essay Contest - Last November, at a Safe Routes newsletter meeting, staffer Taylor Sutton had a terrific idea. She thought why should boring adults be writing all the articles? We should have a student essay contest! |
| Looking Back on 2009 |
| National report shows Safe Routes to School protecting children walking, bicycling at Vestal Elementary in Portland - Vestal Elementary school’s Safe Routes to School initiative has been profiled in a new national report showing how Safe Routes to School programs can be harnessed to keep children safe from traffic dangers while walking and bicycling to school. |
| Volunteer bike mechanics needed for Bike Safety Education fleet - We need skilled mechanics to help with basic bike maintenance and repair for our Bike Safety Education fleet. |
| Student video: Walk + Bike - Check out 9th grader Nick Young's video recap of Walk + Bike to School Day |
| Safe Routes Essay Contest |
| A Chinese Salute to Traffic Safety - Skewering dubious edicts by local governments, like a rule that children must salute passing cars, has become a favorite pastime of China’s Web users. |
| Our Winter 2009 Newsletter is online |
| Kids on the move at Bridger K-8 - Bridger students ride (and walk) the momentum started by International Walk + Bike Day |
| Drive Less Family Challenge results are in - Four local families fed up with fueling up put their skills to the test to cut back on their driving for one week in this year's Drive Less Family Challenge. |
| September Education Update - Things are moving along swimmingly this fall in our Bike and Pedestrian Safety arena. |
| More Engineering Improvements at Humboldt School |
| Safe Routes News Coverage - Two Oct 1st articles about Safe Routes to School in The Oregonian and The Portland Tribune |
| Walk + Bike to School Day Event on Oct. 7 - Portland Bureau of Transportation is hosting a media event with the students of James John Elementary, local dignitaries and businesses encouraging students and families to make healthy choices for children and communities. |
| Mind Your Idle — Please Don’t Idle Near School - Did you know that children breathe in twice as much air for their body weight than adults? |
| Great Volunteer Opportunties with our Bike Safety Education program - Help out with our bike safety program and/or Walk + Bike to School Day |
| More Schools, More Safe Riders - In late August while you were stocking up on notebooks and pencils, we at Safer Routes to Schools were dusting off and tuning up our fleet of 200 bicycles. |
| Back-to-School Reminder - As students head back to school, it is particularly important to obey traffic laws and to be safe drivers in school zones. Follow these back-to-school driver safety tips to keep all students safe this school year! |
| Our Fall 2009 Newsletter is now online |
| Get in the "Bike to School" mindset. - A student video production on the MLC Bike Bus |
| Engineering Improvements at Humboldt School - An example of an engineering improvement made near Humboldt School. |
| Summertime = Bike-time - Three schools east of i205 have two-week bike safety programs for 4th + 5th grade age students |
| Ready Rider Workshops at N Portland Sunday Parkways a Huge Success! - On June 21st, 51 young people came by our station in Peninsula Park and received free bike helmets and learned bike safety skills. |
| Scholarships available for Safe Routes to School Conference - Scholarships available until July 15 for August Safe Routes to School National Conference in Portland |
| WALK + BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY: Wednesday October 7th 2009 - Registration for Oregon?s Walk + Bike to School Day is now available on-line at www.walknbike.org. |
| $5,000 Bike Safety Grants available - The 2009/2010 Building Safer Communities (BSC) and 2009/2010 Bicycle Safety Mini Grant applications are now open |
| Reading, Writing, Wellness at Abernethy Elementary - Schools across the nation are focusing on the importance of healthy students as a key to learning and strong communities. Watch as one school incorporates wellness into all of its programs, from gardening and exercise to nutrition and healthy eating habits. |
| Reuters: Car-driven society poses risk to Americans' health - The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation e-update tipped me off to this interesting Reuters article about the health risks of car dependency. |
| Walk + Bike to Baseball at PGE Park on June 12 - Join Safer Routes to Schools and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance at the Walk + Bike to Baseball celebration on June 12 |
| Celebrating Safety Patrol |
| Bicycle Safety Helmet Fitting tips - Some helmet fitting tips from our friends at Safe Kids |
| Join us for free youth Ready Rider Workshops this summer! - Safer Routes to School, in partnership with Providence Bridge Pedal and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, is hosting a free bike skills training course and ride for children at each Sunday Parkways event. |
| Walk There! - Chris Smith's great site, www.portlandtransport.com, has the skinny on the reprint of our favorite Portland walking resource |
| Drive Less Save More Vote Now - Check out the creative videos local folks put together for the Drive Less Video Challenge. |
| Safe Kids at the Zoo - This Saturday, Safer Routes to School will be at the Safe Kids at the Zoo event at the Oregon Zoo |
| National Safer Routes to School Conference - Join us this summer for the National Safer Routes to School Conference |
| Bike Safety at Lewis Elementary - Video and Interview with our Bike Safety Instructor, Carl Larson |
| Safer Routes to Middle School - From the New York Times: "Giving Lessons in Traffic Safety at Middle Schools" |
| Lose the Training Wheels fundraiser - Learn about this One-day Quick Start Camp for folks who don't know how to ride |
| The New York Times Loves Walking + Biking - Two recent stories tout biking in Portland, and Walking School Buses in Italy |
| Good News: Portland's '08 Traffic Fatalities Lowest Ever - 2008 had the lowest number of traffic fatalitites of any year on record, dating back to 1925. |
| Sign up for Walk + Bike Challenge Month! - Get your school involved in Walk + Bike Challenge Month this May... |
