This is the June issue of the Marin Safe Routes to Schools ENewsletter. This newsletter provides you with monthly updates of the Marin Safe Routes to Schools program, including highlights of the month.
Marin Scores BIG on Caltrans
Safe Routes to Schools Funding
Four Marin projects were approved for funding as the first round of the new Federal Safe Routes to Schools program grants were announced on June 4. The County will receive $715K to build badly needed sidewalk improvements along Marin Avenue, the primary walking routes to and from Tam Valley School. The project will also include widening of the existing narrow sidewalk near the school entrance and high visibility crosswalks.
San Anselmo will receive $342K to provide sidewalks, curb ramps and high visibility school crosswalks along the key routes to Wade Thomas and St. Anselms schools. An irregularly-shaped intersection in front of St. Anselm's School will be modified to slow vehicular travel speeds and shorten school crosswalks.
Sun Valley school in San Rafael gets an improved pathway along Happy Lane in front of the school with a $362K. Del Mar Middle School in Tiburon will get upgrades to 18 crosswalks, curb ramps and a new traffic controls along the routes to school with a grant of $352K. The TAM Safe Routes to Schools program assisted all of these communities in developing these plans.
Highlights of the Month:
Safe Pathways call for prsojects
Team Leader Gathering June 7
Safe Routes in the Mill Valley Memorial Day parade
Hill Middle School students learn to "drive" bikes
Riding with Youth in Fairfax
Redwood High School celebrates eco week
Miller Creek Students Lead Walkabout
TASK FORCE UPDATES
- Ross Valley Looks at Cascade Drive
- Mill Valley Explores Back to School Banner
- Novato Looks to City Budget
- Larkspur Progress on Travel Plan
- Sun Valley Prepares for the Fall
JUNE'S CALENDAR
Team Leader Meeting
Thursday June 7, 11:30 am – 1 pm
San Rafael Community Center
618 B St., San Rafael
Novato Task Force Meeting
Wednesday, June 6, 7 pm
Margaret Todd Senior Center
1560 Hill Road, Novato
Mill Valley Task Force
Tuesday, June 12, 9 am
Sewer Agency of Southern Marin Conference room
450 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley
Ross Valley Task Force
Tuesday, June 5, 10 am
Ross Valley School District Office
110 Shaw Drive, San Anselmo
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Safe Pathways call for projects
The Transportation Authority of Marin is pleased to announce the release of the Safe Pathways Call for Projects for approximately $1,700,000. Safe Pathways is the capital improvement element of SR2S and provides funding to design and construct projects identified in Safe Routes Plans developed by teams of schools, parents, students and local public works staff in conjunction with the larger SR2S program. Safe Pathways projects will be selected for funding based on performance criteria that focus on improving safety throughout the County. Applications are due June 29, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. Contact your local Public Works Department to inquire about applying for a project for your school. Safe Pathways is a Measure A Transportation Sales Tax program that is part of the TAM SR2S program.
Team Leader Gathering June 7
Team leaders old and new are invited to the annual end of the school year Team Leader gathering on Thursday, June 7 at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street in San Rafael. We will provide a scrumptious lunch catered by Good Earth Natural Foods. In addition to discussing the successes and challenges of the past year, SR2S will provide each team leader with a Back to School package that will help you get started in the fall. This package will include a CD of materials including an editable letter to parents from your principal, flyers, and a PowerPoint presentation for you to use at back to school events. Everyone also gets our newly designed SR2S t-shirts. For more information contact Kristin at Kristin@marinbike.org .
Safe Routes in the Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade
There were green fairies on roller blades and kids on bikes as Safe Routes to Schools marched in the Mill Valley Memorial day Parade. When Mill Valley Task Force co-chair Stephanie Moulton-Peters saw that the parade would have a green theme this year, she knew that SR2S needed to have a presence. She joined forces with "Green Team", the students who are running the Frequent Rider Miles contest at Mill Valley Middle School. Maureen Parton, Mill Valley Planning Commissioner and aid to supervisor Charles McGlashan, joined in as well as Victoria Talkington, head of Mill Valley Steps and Paths.
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Hill Middle School Students Learn to "Drive"
Students at Hill Middle School learned the basic rules of the road during a two week special session with Safe Routes to Schools' Road Skills course. The course was led by former SR2S instructor Jason Agar. Students begin with basic classroom training on riding in traffic. This was followed by blacktop drills and culminated in a neighborhood ride where they were able to practice their skills. Extra bikes were provided by Trips for Kids for those kids who don't own bikes. This course will be offered in the fall as an after-school program at selected middle schools. Contact Kristin@marinbike.org if you are interested in having your child take the course.
Riding with Youth in Fairfax
On May 15, over forty parents and children gathered at Doc Edgar Park on Cascade Drive to share food and learn how to ride safely with their kids. Safe Routes instructor Frances Barbour gave a mini-presentation on bike and helmet checks and some key safety tips for riding bicycles with small children. The group then donned their helmets and did a loop around the circular park, practicing staying together and doing shoulder checks.
A full class on Riding with Youth runs for three hours and will teach the skills necessary for parents who are new to riding and want to take their children to school. To schedule a workshop for your community contact Kristin at Kristin@marinbike.org.
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Redwood High School Celebrates Sustainability Festival
Students at Redwood High were treated to a Sustainability Festival on May 16 and 17. Each morning they spent an hour and a half enjoying presentations on sustainable living including a session the first morning on eco-friendly transportation. They ate scrumptious healthy, locally grown foods available for lunch which raised funds for various school clubs. The whole week was walk or bike to school week and many of the kids were new bikers who started because of the event (and the extra credit they could get for class). The Redwood Environmental Club sponsored the event with help from Safe Routes to Schools and Next Generation.
Miller Creek Students Lead Walkabout
Students from the Miller Creek Safe Routes to Schools club showed SR2S staff the difficulties of walking and biking to school. The intersection in front of the school was of primary concern. Confusing traffic controls and speeding traffic make it a hazard in the morning and afternoon. They also suggested more and better bike racks, at more convenient locations. The pathways that lead into the school are narrow and in poor repair. SR2S will provide concept designs that will be used as part of the school's travel plan. SR2S staff will be meeting with the Marinwood Homeowner's Association SR2S committee in June to discuss the plan.
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Task Force Updates
Ross Valley Looks at Cascade Drive
With most of the main corridors of Fairfax either planned or built for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, Fairfax is now exploring the issues on neighborhood roads. Cascade Drive is a long and winding road with loads of families, many of whom ride their kids to school on bikes. With traffic rushing to work, it can be a disturbing experience for parents. The city has invited Safe Routes to Schools traffic engineer David Parisi to come out to take a look at the situation to see if there are any solutions.
Mill Valley Explores Back to School Banner
The Mill Valley SR2S Task Force has decided to put up back to school banners to raise awareness of the need to drive carefully as more children will be walking and biking to school. The banners will go up in the fall and cross East Blithesdale and Shoreline Highway. The group will determine the message for the banners at the next task force meeting, as well as strategizing how to pay for them.
Novato Looks to City Budget
The Novato Safe Routes to Schools Task Force discussed their wish list of projects as the City begins its budget workshop for the next fiscal year. The group would like to ask for more crossing guards, funding for approved projects, and funding for striping for the remaining schools not included in the Caltrans grant. There is also interest in improving Indian Valley Road at Hill as the owner of a new development wants to donate the lane but doesn't want to build or maintain sidewalks.
Larkspur Progress on Travel Plan
The Larkspur Task Force closed out their work for this school year, completing a good portion of their travel plan including basic information, preliminary goals and objectives, and strategies for enforcement and engineering. School Team leaders were asked to write up their recommendations for encouragement and education programs over the summer and bring their ideas to the next meeting in September.
Sun Valley Prepares for the Fall
The Sun Valley Team is heading for the finish line in preparing its Travel Plan. They are looking at old survey results and tweaking the survey as needed for a new one this fall. They are also taking some teacher input and devising a stronger school pool plan for the fall. The teachers are getting more familiar with the committee and communicating ideas. The teams is hoping to build on this good relationship.
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"Crossing Guard" in Mill Valley Parade
Safe Routes to Schools
is a program of the
Transportation Authority
of Marin
3501 Civic Center Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94913
www.tam.ca.gov
Project Manager:
David Parisi
415-388-8978
david@
parisi-associates.com
For general
information
on the Safe Routes
program:
Program Director:
Wendi Kallins
415-488-4101
wendi@marinbike.org
For information on
school activities
and classes:
Project Coordinator:
Kristin Nute
415-456-3469 ext. 2#
kristin@marinbike.org
Green Team members at Mill Valley Parade
