Marin County Safe Routes to Schools
Team Leader Newsletter
November 2004

TEAM LEADER UPDATES

1. Measure A Passes with 71%!
2. San Rafael awarded Capital Safe Routes to School grant
3. Sign up for Frequent Rider Miles
4. Walk and Bike America is now on-line
5. Middle School On-the-Bike Training
6. National Leaders come to Marin
7. Come to the Big Bike Bash November 20, 6-10 PM
8. Fourth Grade - News from the Field
9. Featured School - Manor School

TEAM LEADER UPDATES

1. Measure A Passes with 71%

Measure A, the Transportation Sales Tax initiative for Marin County passed with an overwhelming 71% of the vote, well above the 2/3 majority required. This is very big news for Safe Routes to Schools, which is specifically funded through this tax for the next 20 years. The funding includes continuation of the current Safe Routes to Schools program, up to 70 crossing guards countywide, and infrastructure improvements for participating schools. Marin is the first community in the country to fund Safe Routes to Schools through a transportation sales tax.

In addition, Measure A will ensure the continuation and expansion of Marin's local transit system, including the popular West Marin Stagecoach. As plans for the transit system go forward, we will be working with the Transportation Authority of Marin to ensure better transit to and from schools and the continuation of the popular Ride and Roll program for middle and high school students.

Measure A also guarantees the completion of the carpool lanes on 101 through San Rafael and funds road maintenance and improvements for both county and local roads, including bikeways and pedestrian pathways.

Thank you to everyone who helped to spread the word for Measure A. Your efforts made all the difference. We can now plan for the future with the assurance that this program will grow and thrive over the next 20 years.

2. San Rafael receives Capital Safe Routes to Schools grant

The City of San Rafael was awarded a $296,000 grant from the Caltrans capital Safe Routes to Schools program. This is the fifth straight year that the Marin Safe Routes to Schools program has assisted a local jurisdiction in developing a successful application for this competitive funding program. The San Rafael grant will fund a high visibility crosswalk in front of Vallecito school as well as permanent speed feedback signs to slow down the traffic. In addition, it funds a raised crosswalk in front of Bahia Vista School as well as curb extensions.

Due to recent State legislation, the Caltrans Safe Routes to School funding program has been extended for another three years. We look forward to assisting other communities in preparing grant applications. For a list of all grant recipients go to http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LocalPrograms/SafeRTS2School/5thCycleProgramPlan.pdf

3. Sign up for Frequent Rider Miles

Please sign up for the Frequent Rider Miles program before Thanksgiving. For those of you new to the program, Frequent Rider Miles is our yearly spring contest. Children get tally cards to keep track of the number of times they walk, bike, carpool or take the bus to and from school. They get a point for each time they take an alternative mode, and for every 20 points they earn, the students receives an instant reward and is entered into a raffle to win a gift certificate for a new Trek bicycle and other valuable prizes donated by Trek. In order to secure our prizes in a timely manner, we need to inform Trek of the number of participating schools. Please let us know by Thanksgiving if you will be doing the contest this year. If you want more information you can go to our website at www.saferoutestoschools.org and look under contests and events. Contact Melanie at 456-3469 ext. 5# to sign-up, and if you have questions.

4. Walk and Bike Across America now On-line

The new Walk and Bike Across America game is now on-line, and we have maps available for classrooms. You can go to www.saferoutestoschools.org/walk to view the site. You can test drive the site by logging on as a student. Pick 'Best Class!' from the pull down menu. Then type in: secret word: "the best." You can now view some of the websites along the route. We will be fine-tuning the site based on your feedback, so please let us know what you think. To get into the teacher view to see more of how the map works, contact wendi@marinbike.org for further instructions. If you know of teachers at your school who might be likely candidates for using this activity , please contact Melanie@marinbike.org or call her at 456-3469 ext 5#.

5. Middle School On-the-Bike Training

Sixth grade students from Mill Valley Middle School learned how to "drive" their bikes during the month of October. The Safe Routes to Schools program partnered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org) and Mill Valley Middle School's Physical Education Dept. to devote five weeks of PE classes to test a new series of Safe Routes to School bicycle and pedestrian safety lessons. Mill Valley Middle School was selected as the first test pilot for this new NHTSA national curriculum.

On October 4th, all 270 6th grade students started with helmet and bike fit, and moved on to parking lot skill drills, pedestrian training, intersection theory, practice, and finished with practicing their skill on a neighborhood bike rides on bike paths and roads. The sixth graders participated during their twice-weekly PE hour.

Safe Routes Instructor Chris Davis says, "I have worked with some of these students in second and fourth grade in our Safe Routes to School programs at Mill Valley elementary schools. It is so rewarding to see them take it to the next level. Every student showed improvement in the four weeks that we have been working up to the neighborhood rides."

"Teaching students how to drive their bikes will help them to be safer on the road and healthier in the long run, "says Safe Routes Instructor Jason Agar.

Parents, police officers, and teachers in Mill Valley hope the course will encourage more bicycling and walking to school, help relieve traffic congestion around schools, and teach children the benefits of non-motorized transport.

The Safe Routes to Schools program is now exploring how to offer this program to other schools in Marin. If your school is interested please let us know by contacting Melanie@marinbike.org. We hope to add at least one more school in the spring and offer the program to more schools next year with the costs split between the County-wide program and a contribution from the school.

6. National Leaders come to Marin.

Twenty-four Safe Routes to Schools leaders from around the United States gathered at the Mill Valley Community Center in October to learn the basics on how to start and grow a Safe Routes to Schools program in their communities. Participants came from Hawaii, Oregon, Texas, Maine, Michigan, Wyoming, Ohio, Virginia and from other parts of California to be trained by Safe Routes to Schools program director, Wendi Kallins and our engineering consultant, David Parisi. They were also able to view the new NHTSA middle school curriculum, (see previous item) and hear from Melanie Grubman on how to get kids involved.

The workshop enabled the participants to interact amongst themselves, sharing stories and ideas for growing a multi-school program similar to Marin County. They also viewed the morning commute at neighboring Mill Valley Middle School and heard about the challenges faced by the local student Safe Routes to Schools club.

A bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge provided a highlight for the two-day event. With the fog fingering its way over the bridge, the travelers were treated to a quintessential San Francisco experience. Many requested more training for the future.

7. Come to the Big Bike Bash November 20, 6-10 PM

On Saturday, November 20, 2004, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition will hold its Seventh Annual Big Bike Bash benefit at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, from 6 to 10 PM.

The event will feature a dynamic program including a free buffet dinner, live and silent auctions, an awards ceremony, live jazz and dance music, and a short program featuring bicycle legend Gary Fisher and Supervisor-elect Charles McGlashen.

The MCBC is pleased to have the following Big Bike Bash sponsors this year:

GOLD Level - WTB, and Marin General Hospital
SILVER Level - GravyWheels, Sunshine Bicycle Center, Breezer Bicycles, and the Law Offices of Bornstein & Bornstein

The Big Bike Bash is FREE to MCBC members; or new members can join at the door for only $25 and enjoy MCBC's membership benefits all year long. Last year's event drew nearly 500 people. Mark your calendar and join us in celebrating! More information is available at www.marinbike.org.

8. Fourth Grade- News from the field.

During the Safe Routes helmet safety class we asked the students why they should walk and bike to school. The answers from some students in this class sounded like advertisements for the positives of a healthy lifestyle. Not only did the students understand that walking and biking to school was healthy. But they also understood that a healthy lifestyle breeds better confidence and models better behavior to those in the neighborhood.

In the words of a student: "Maybe at first when you bike to school, you feel tired, but each time it gets easier and then biking to school is just as easy as driving in your car." Another commented: "When I exercise it makes me feel better about myself because it makes me feel strong."

9. Featured School - Manor School

Manor School makes excellent use of its school's weekly newsletter to promote Safe Routes to Schools activities and to share the experiences of their parents. Here are a couple of entries:

"Our family moved from Oakland to Fairfax this summer, just as the new school year began. One of my favorite things about the move has been bike riding to and from school with our third grade son. What a great way to experience Fairfax and its beautiful trees, cool mornings and warm afternoons, courteous car drivers and wildlife! We were so pleased to stop to watch a fawn on someone's lawn one day. Riding to school with my son is a pleasant way for us to spend outside time together and get some exercise while teaching my son that there are small things we can do each day to help assure a healthier environment."

And in another entry:

"Simulating! That's the word someone used lately to describe the brisk morning air - and it's true! There's nothing better than a walk or bike ride to school to help your child (and you!) start the day alert and awake. Break out the jackets and gloves and enjoy these fall mornings."

Please consider checking with the office at your school to learn more out about deadlines and processes for submitting material for school publications. This is a great way to get word out about Safe Routes to Schools to the wider school community. Thank you for your leadership in your community!

For more information please contact Wendi Kallins, Safe Routes to Schools Program Director at (415) 488-4101 or wendi@marinbike.org

Safe Routes to Schools is a program funded by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and administered by the County of Marin on behalf of the Marin County Congestion Management Agency and the County, Cities and Towns of Marin.