This is the November 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.
Highlights of the Month
More on International Walk to School Day October 3rd
Redwood Student Rider Roller Blades to School
Edna Maguire launches SchoolPool
Street Smarts Identifies Worst Travel Behaviors
Dixie School Launches Task Foece
Corte Madera Responds to Stalking Incident
Marin Presents at First National Conference on Safe Routes
OCTOBER'S CALENDAR
Novato Task Force Meeting
Thursday Novemver 8, 7 pm
Novato Unified School District
1015 7th Street, Novato
Ross Valley Task Force
Friday, November 9, 10 am
Ross Valley School District Office
110 Shaw Drive, San Anselmo
Mill Valley Task Force
Tuesday, November 13, 9:15 am
Sewer Agency of Southern Marin Conference room
450 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley
Twin Cities (Corte Madera and Larkspur) Task Force
Tuesday, November 27, 3:15 pm
Larkspur Recreation Dept.
240 Doherty Drive, Larkspur
Sun Valley Task Force Meeting
Wednesday December 5, 8:30 am
Sun Valley School
75 Happy Lane, San Rafael
Dixie Task Force
Thursday, December 12, 7 pm
Miller Creek Library (To be confirmed)
2255 Las Galinas Road, San Rafael
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More on International Walk to School Day October 3rd
The reports are in and this year’s Walk to School Day was the best ever. At Lagunitas School, School Board member Steve Rebscher led students on a bike train from Woodacre while Community Center Director Dave Cort led one from Lagunitas. They had walkers, dogs, babies in strollers, and lots of bikers! The bike racks were overflowing and most people from over the hill carpooled. Queen’s “Bicycle Race” was playing on a boombox just to add to the atmosphere. People were saying things like, "We should have bike trains every Wednesday! It's so fun to do it with a group of families!"
Well over half the kids at the Ross School biked or walked (more than twice the number that walk or bike on an everyday basis) and volunteers ran out of hot chocolate after only the first 20 minutes (over 200 cups served).
Police Officer Sheryl Patton reported a high level of participation at Mill Valley Middle School. Bicyclists “flooded” the streets! This, despite the fact that the event was not organized by adults. Sheryl attributes the overwhelming turnout to elementary school graduates continuing the celebration of International Walk and Roll to School Day at the Middle School level. Mill Valley Middle School announced the event over the PA system the day before which also helped to remind students.
In Novato, Lynwood School had 59 more participants than last year. San Ramon doubled the numbers from last year to 125 participants. Loma Verde School‘s successful first International Walk to School Day included approximately 120 kids who walked, 45 who rode bicycles and car-poolers and bus riders.
For more reports and pictures from 2007 International Walk to School Day go to www.saferoutestoschools.org There is still time to submit your report and pictures.(Photo by Peter Oppenheimer)
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Redwood Student Roller Blades to School
On Wednesday, October 3rd, students all over the world walked, biked and rolled to school as part of International Walk and Roll to School Day. Krijns Corn and a few friends, all students at Redwood High School, decided to participate in the event by rollerblading to school. Kate Halvestine, a Safe Routes to Schools intern at Redwood interviewed Krjins.
Kate: Why did you decide to rollerblade to school?
KC: Well, I saw the signs and the posters around school about walking and biking to school day. I don’t have a bike so I suggested to my friends that we should rollerblade. We all thought it was a good and fun idea so we did it.
Kate: Were your books/supplies an obstacle?
KC: I used a backpack for the day. No it wasn’t hard carrying it all to school.
Kate: Was the cold morning temperature an obstacle?
KC: Well... I am not going to lie. It was pretty freezing but we just planned ahead and wore big jackets.
Kate: Did you have fun?
KC: Yea! Especially rollerblading with a bunch of friends made it a blast. I felt great for the remainder of the day too.
Edna Maguire School Launches SchoolPool
Edna Maguire School in Mill Valley launched their SchoolPool outreach for the second year in row, this year working with the new SR2S SchoolPool Coordinator, Deborah Cole. Cole devised a new Parent sign-up form that provides all the information needed to connect families with neighbors who wish to share in walking, biking and carpooling to school and also captures current travel modes.
The school sent out the sign up form with a letter from principal Lisa Zimmer, and the Safe Routes Team requesting everyone in the school to reply. The resuting160 replies yielded 12 neighborhood organizers. The organizers then emailed all the neighbors in their groups with interest (over 100 families.) The families emailed each other with their schedules and some neighborhoods met to introduce themselves and their children.
SchoolPool is especially helpful to new families. Also, with the rainy season upon us, families who typically walk and bike can use SchoolPool to more easily convert to carpools. For questions or to send in success stories at your school, contact Deborah Cole at deborah@parisi-associates.com
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Corte Madera, Larkspur and Mill Valley staff all agree – the worst five traffic-related behaviors in their communities are vehicular speeding, drivers failing to stop at red lights and stop signs, motorists not ceding the right-of-way to pedestrians, distracted driving (from cell phone use, applying make-up, etc.), and bicyclists disobeying traffic laws. Over the next month, TAM’s Street Smarts program will work with the three pilot communities to identify locations where each behavior is prevalent. Then, early next year, media and other measures will be deployed with the goal of educating drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians on what they can do to make streets safer.
Dixie School District Launches Task Force
Community leaders gathered on October 18 to launch the Dixie School District Safe Routes to Schools Task Force. Team leaders from Mary Silviera, Dixie and Vallecito School joined with the Safe Routes Club teacher from Miller Creek, principal from Vallecito, Supervisor Susan Adams, public works and law enforcement representatives, homeowners and district representatives to develop a safe routes travel plan for the district. The Task Force will spend the remainder of the year gathering information, developing engineering recommendations and in-school action plans to increase the number of children walking and biking and reducing traffic around schools. The Task Force will also explore ways to increase use of the school bus.
Twin Cities Respond to Stalking Incident
After a man approached a student at Marin Primary and Middle School (MPMS) and tried to coax her into a car, the school contacted Kid Power, a Santa Cruz non-profit organization that specializes in teaching safety strategies to parents and children. They teach skills to prepare students to protect themselves from bullying, molestation, assault and abduction. Knowing these skills increases most students’ belief in themselves as being powerful, competent, and valuable people. KidPower presented its program to MPMS parents on Monday, October 29 to rave reviews. Twin Cities SR2S Task Force members discussed repeating the event before a larger audience and sharing the costs among all Twin Cities schools. Corte Madera Recreation Center has offered the space for free. In addition, the Twin Cities Police will be offering the radKIDS student safety curriculum in January through the Larkspur Recreation Department. The police have become certified instructions in this national student empowerment program. If you are interested in having Kid Power come to your community you can find out more by going to www.kidpower.org. For more information about radKIDS go to www.radkids.org.
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Marin Presents at First National Conference on Safe Routes to Schools
Marin made its mark in the first National Conference on Safe Routes to Schools in Dearborn, Michigan. Over 400 Safe Routes to Schools enthusiasts gathered to hear the most up to date information and tools for implementing a SR2S program. The excitement and enthusiasm was infectious as people shared their successes and their challenges. On a panel on empowering youth Frances Barbour gave highlights from Marin’s teen program in a presentation prepared by Teen coordinator Aviva Joseph. At two other sessions, TAM’s Safe Routes to School Program Director, Wendi Kallins highlighted Marin’s program for creating sustainability; and “No Way City,” a virtual walkabout used at Marin’s Healthy Design conference last spring. This tool is used to simulate a walk audit when a regular walk audit is not possible. We are returning with great new ideas and inspirations from across the country.
For more information about the conference, please visit http://www.saferoutesmichigan.org/nationalconference.htm
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:
Laura Kelly
415-456-3469 ext. 2#
laura@marinbike.org
