Safe Routes to School

Safe Routes to School is an international program in 40 countries, currently represented at over 5,200 elementary schools across all 50 states in the United States. The innovative and popular program seeks to increase safe walking, bicycling and other more ecological and healthy ways to and from schools through a five “E”s approach, addressing Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation. San Francisco’s Safe Routes to School program began in 2009. Currently funded by a $500,000 grant from the federal Safe Routes to School program and Caltrans, the program has been extended through 2013 though the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Climate Action Initiatives program. The San Francisco Safe Routes to School partnership is led by the San Francisco Department of Public Health and supported by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, SFUSD, SF Municipal Transportation Agency, SFPD, DCYF, and the Presidio Community YMCA Bicycle Program (YBike).

YBike works on the Education and Encouragement components of the Safe Routes to School program, together with our partners at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. The Safe Routes to School Education curriculum is designed to educate 2nd and 4th graders on the benefits of walking or biking to school, giving them the tools, knowledge, and skills needed to safely walk and bike to school. Second graders learn pedestrian safety, while fourth graders focus on bicycle safety in a 3-lesson program that culminates with an on-site bicycle skills training (bike rodeo). These in-school lessons help support the overall program goal to increase safe walking and bicycling in school communities to promote an active and healthy lifestyle with students, improve traffic safety, and decrease pollution around the school. In addition to teaching in the classroom, YBike also helps organize and promote Encouragement programs open to all San Francisco students and school communities, including Walk to School Day in the fall and San Francisco Bike to School Day in the spring (April 7, 2011), an event YBike started in May, 2009.

Starting with five pilot schools its first year, the program has expanded to 15 schools in 2010-11. All chosen schools have high percentages of students living within one mile of their school, making increased walking and bicycling a realistic and attainable goal. Given the significant challenges we face particularly those related to obesity and global climate change – this proven and popular program could not have come at a better time to promote healthy, ecological and community-oriented active transportation solutions in San Francisco. YBike is proud to be a part of Safe Routes to School-San Francisco.

For specific information about Safe Routes to School-San Francisco, visit the website.

For more information about the Safe Routes to School movement, visit our Resources: Safe Routes to School page.