Safe Routes to School Holds National Conference in Portland
At a time when national headlines scream of climate change, climbing oil prices, pollution, declining personal health, and budget cuts, thought leaders from various fields gathered together in Portland, Oregon this past August to further a movement that takes aim at reversing all these trends.
The 2009 Safe Routes to School National Conference brought over 550 individuals together to share knowledge on how to increase capacity for safe routes to schools programs in communities across the U.S.
Forty years ago, 50% of children walked or bicycled to school (and 87% of children living within one mile of school); today, fewer than 15% of schoolchildren do. Re-establishing opportunities for children to walk and bike to school takes aim at halting the destructive trends listed above.
The 21st Century has given our society a tremendous opportunity to multi-task, but it comes with costly repercussions. To change our direction and begin to live lightly on the earth takes a shift in perception on how we can live. Over three days in Portland, city planners, educators, health practitioners, politicians, parents, youth, engineers, and advocates (to name a few!) traded perspectives on how safe routes to school can begin to shift that consciousness.
With the benefits of cleaner air, decreased childhood obesity, reduced traffic congestion, and neighborhood cohesion, SRTS proponents were emboldened to push for increased and safer access to school for children and families in their hometowns, and at the federal level. The convergence of so many different sectors coming together to find a common voice raised the level of sustainable transportation options for our children, our environment, and our communities.
Though there were many highlights of the conference, the stand out feature was Portland itself. The city rolled out the red carpet for walk and bike advocates and hinted at the possibilities for safe routes to school across the country. Scheduled workshops and guided bicycling and walking tours gave participants the opportunity explore Portland’s innovative transportation infrastructure, leaving them energized and hopeful for the great things to come for the safe routes to school movement.
Portland's International Bike + Walk to School Day
“Whether your concern is safer and improved streets, healthier habits, or cleaner air, Walk to School Day events are aimed at bringing forth permanent change to encourage a more walkable America — one community at a time.”
National Center for Safe Routes to School
The first Wednesday of every October, students, parents and faculty throughout Portland join millions around the world for International Walk + Bike to School Day. On this day, school communities may choose to take a step in a healthier direction by walking and biking to school together. Schools may encourage families to walk for health, clean air, or increasing neighborhood safety. The Portland Safe Routes to Schools program encourages schools to participate in this event and highlight the importance of creating a safe community for children to be active.
This year, Walk + Bike to School Day falls on October 7 and Portland schools are already registering. At the state-level, we hope to have 180 schools participate in International Walk + Bike to School Day. While school’s main activity is to encourage students to walk and bike to school, volunteers have other activities to enhance the celebration. For example, many schools will greet students who walk and bike to school with healthy snacks, stickers, and other incentives. Other schools incorporate International Walk + Bike to School day into their classroom curriculum or hold afterschool bike rodeos.
Specifically, one school organizing an extra celebratory event for International Walk + Bike to School day is James John Elementary School in north Portland. Throughout the past year, James John volunteers have organized a monthly walk and bike to school day for students. To kick-off this year’s efforts, the school will host city dignitaries on their walk to school. Representatives from the Mayor’s office, Portland School Board, and Kaiser Permanente (to name a few) will be joining James John on International Walk + Bike to School Day.
To find out more information about Portland efforts in International Walk + Bike to School day or to register your school, please contact Carolina Iraheta, Safe Routes to School Organizer, at 503-823-1189.
Bike Sharing - Part II or PBOT Unveils Bike Sharing to the Public
The Portland Bureau of Transportation and over 500 people experienced bike sharing during the Portland Bicycle Sharing Demonstration events on August 14 and August 16, 2009.
Four bike sharing vendors brought their bike sharing wares to Waterfront Park and Laurelhurst Park (the latter during Sunday Parkways): Bcycle (www.bcycle.com), Bike Share Group, Bixi (www.bixisystem.com ) , and Portland Bicycle Share (www.portlandbicycleshare.com).
The vendors represented the largest North American bike share companies (Bixi and Bcycle) and two local, start-up companies (Portland Bike Sharing and The Bike Share Group). Bixi is the product of city of Montreal’s parking authority, Stationnement de Montreal. Montreal is the only large-scale bike sharing system currently operating in North America with close to 3,000 bikes.
About 300 people completed a written or online survey (www.portlandonline.com/transportation/bikesharing) about bikesharing in Portland and the participating vendors. While the responses are still being compiled, public feedback to the demonstration was positive.
Response to the individual bike sharing products varied. The focus on building a local product (Portland Bike Sharing) struck a chord, while others thought the bike lockers of The Bike Share group fit our overcast climate. Conversely, Bixi and Bcycle impressed with their technically sophisticated products that are street-ready.
A summer vacation to Paris found a bike sharing system well-used by residents and tourists. As noteworthy as its scale (20,000 bikes, 74,000 trips/day on average) is the transformation of the street system to facilitate comfortable, safe urban bicycling. Bicycle lanes grace nearly every boulevard in the central city and every intersection seems to include wayfinding signs to direct cyclists to major destinations.
Staff continues to study the potential impact of bike sharing in Portland. With a lack of comparable cities, analysis is currently equal parts research and speculation. With five North American regions preparing to install bike sharing systems in the next year (Arlington County, VA, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis and Toronto), data more relevant to Portland will soon assist our analysis.
More information about bikesharing can be found on PBOT’s bike sharing web site: www.portlandonline.com/transportation/bikesharing.
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