Safe Routes to Schools National Conference Showcases Marin Programs

How do you get to know a new city?  Do you take a bus tour?  Read about the city on-line?  How about walking around the downtown looking for unique landmarks and then taking a creative picture? 

The latter was how I learned about downtown Sacramento, participating in a scavenger hunt as part of the Safe Routes to Schools National Conference last week.  My fellow teammates and I searched for examples of sidewalk art, at least 10 bicycles in one image, Queen Isabella, and two trains in one picture, and much more.  Some ideas were concrete (literally), like finding a good example of a sidewalk curb extension, while others were whimsical – like “Nectar of the Gods”.  It was great fun and a wonderful way to learn about a new city. 

The Scavenger Hunt was one of many activities offered at the Safe Routes to Schools National Conference.  Hundreds of health and planning professionals, educators, advocates and student leaders from across the country gathered on August 13-15 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel to listen to more than 220 speakers talking about a wide range of topics connected to creating safer routes to schools, bike-friendly places and healthy communities.

The three-day event offered other unique “bike-centric” activities, including a charitable bike build in which the Bay Area’s Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools program was the recipient of nine bikes, a  Kidical Mass bike ride, a Mobile Bike Mural and interactive bike-walk tours of local model projects.

Marin County shined at the Safe Routes to Schools National Conference providing presentations on the Marin’s teen and education programs, the new neighborhood SchoolPool program, the Fairfax Bike Spine, and the recently-completed ten-year program evaluation.   Staff taught others from throughout the US how to conduct a successful walking and bicycling audit and provided tips for developing solutions.  Staff also picked up tips on mapping, incentive and promotion ideas, curriculum opportunities and much more.

On Thursday, the California attendees fanned out inside the Capitol to visit with our elected officials and urge them to continue full funding for the Safe Routes to Schools programs.  All bike and pedestrian funding, including Safe Routes to Schools funding, has been funneled into a new program call the Active Transportation Program.  While commendable in its goal to elevate walking and bicycling in the transportation system, the funding and structure of the program could mean reduced funding for Safe Routes to Schools and make it difficult to fund education and encouragement programs in the future.  Assemblyman Mark Levine’s office promised full support for protecting Safe Routes to Schools.  Marin’s program is locally funded and not in jeopardy but the ability to garner money for needed infrastructure could be limited in the future.  Let your elected representatives know that you support their efforts to protect Safe Routes to Schools funding in the future:

Assembly Mark Levine 10th district

Senator Noreen Events 2nd District

For more information on Safe Routes to Schools go to www.saferoutestoschools.org