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
International Walk to School Day Gets Huge Turnout
Mill Valley Gets Big Federal Safe Routes Grant
San Anselmo Prepares to Put Construction Plans Out to Bid
Vallecito Schools Holds After School Rodeo
Miller Creek Middle School Enters Scholastics Eco-Challenge
Bike Racks Available Through Walk Bike Marin
NOVEMBER'S CALENDAR
TEAM LEADER EVENTS
Teen Team Leader Gathering
Thursday, January 15, 3:30 p.m.
San Rafael Community Center
618 B Street, San Rafael
Team Leader Valentine's Luncheon
Monday, February 9, 11:30 a.m.
San Rafael Community Center
618 B Street, San Rafael
TASK FORCE MEETINGS
Dixie Task Force
Wednesday, November 19, 7 p.m.
Miller Creek Library
2255 Las Galinas Road, San Rafael
San Rafael Task Force
Thursday, November 20, 4 p.m.
Davidson Middle School
280 Woodland Ave., San Rafael
Mill Valley Task Force
Thursday, November 20, 9:15 a.m.
Mill Valley School District
4511 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley
Novato Task Force Meeting
Thursday, November 20, 7 p.m.
1015 7th Street, Novato
Ross Valley Task Force
Friday, November 21, 10 a.m.
Ross Valley School District Office
110 Shaw Drive, San Anselmo
International Walk to School Day recorded a record turn-out!
In Fairfax, 300 walkers, scooters and bicyclists heading to Manor, White Hill Middle, Cascade Canyon, and Daycaring Preschool from converged at Town Hall to set out together. The organizer from Cascade School, who participated for the first time since 2000, noted, that “ As far as we could tell the only car that pulled in to school during the normal school arrival time was a truck whose occupants were all walking to Manor School for iWalk!”
Wade Thomas teamed up with St. Anselms to march down San Anselmo Avenue to their respective schools. They estimate that 250 people participated. One hundred and fifty bikes were counted in the bike racks at Brookside upper campus.
In Tiburon, Bel Aire Team Leader Margot Geitham reported, “I was really impressed with the turnout from the "Ring Mountain Hikers" from the Corte Madera side of the hill. And ten or so adults, plus a few dogs of course!”
In Mill Valley over 200 students at Edna Maguire, two-thirds of Old Mill and almost 100% of Tam Valley participated, as did Mt Tam School which had 40 parent volunteers as walking escorts, crossing guards, backpack shuttle drivers and food servers..
In Novato, 253 students participated at Lynwood school, breaking the previous record for that school. At Lynwood, they raffled off a brand new bike and matching helmet donated by Vince Freemantle of the Novato Dental Center Rancho had half the student body walking to school, many from the remote drop off point at the nearby church. (Rancho draws students from all over Novato).
This is the first time I’ve ever seen the bike racks full at Vallecito!” said team leader Phil Slack. Sun Valley and Laurel Del also participated in San Rafael.
St Patrick’s in Larkspur had a 40% increase over last year’s turnout. There were 312 at Bacich in Kentfield, 200 at Neil Cummins in Corte Madera. Lycee Francais, a new school this year had 90% turnout. “The turnout for this event was truly remarkable since it was our first event like this and I had nothing but positive feedback such as "when can we do this again!" And, "we should do this on a regular basis" said team Leader Linka Watridge. The full report will soon be up at www.saferoutestoschools.org
Mill Valley Gets Big Federal Safe Routes Grant
The city of Mill Valley has been awarded a $565,290 federal Safe Routes to School grant to improve biking and walking safety at a number of problem spots along the city's main arteries.
The grant will fund rebuilding a multi-use path along Camino Alto from Miller to Sycamore Avenues. The new path will feature a barrier in areas to ensure cars stay separate from walkers and bikers.
The grant will also fund a more pedestrian-friendly crossing of Miller Avenue at Almonte. The crossing will be narrowed and curbs extended with the goal of calming traffic and giving crossers more protection.
Also, a separate project will create safer and shorter school crosswalks at the busy intersection of Miller Avenue and Camino Alto. Other pedestrian fixes will likely benefit seniors at the Redwoods retirement community.
"This is really great news," said Mayor Shawn Marshall. "It's another example of the collaborative effort between the city - the Department of Public Works - and the Safe Routes to School group, run by the Transportation Authority of Marin."
San Anselmo Prepares to Put Construction Plans
Out to Bid
San Anselmo’s Public Works Department is advancing the $340,000 Federal grant sidewalk project for the school areas surrounding Wade Thomas Elementary and for projects near St. Anselm’s Private School. Construction plans are completed and engineering is now in the works. Public Works director Rabi Elias provided the plans to the Ross Valley Safe Routes to Schools Task Force for sidewalk designs, curb ramps and crosswalk locations. Some crosswalks will be removed and others installed. The corner intersections will have several crosswalks. Design specifications are now being developed for the plans and bids will be obtained after the specs are completed. The estimated completion date of the project is the summer of 2009.
Vallecito School Holds After School Rodeo
Vallecito School in San Rafael held an after school bicycle rodeo on International Walk to School Day. Over 70 students participated in the extensive course put together by team leader Phil Slack and assisted by Safe Routes to Schools staff and equipment. Students of all grades learned the rules of the rode, safe road bicycling and balance and control of their bicycles. This is the largest turnout SR2S has had for a bicycle rodeo outside regular school hours.
Miller Creek Middle School Enters
Scholastics Eco-Challenge
The Miller Creek “Safe Teens Go Green” club is entering the Lexus Eco Challenge put on by Scholastics.com. The students must develop a plan of action and execute it from December through February. The club has elected to solicit used bikes, refurbish them and provide them to needy children throughout Marin. This ties in nicely with the desire by the Novato Task Force to find refurbished bikes for students at their schools. The students will also put up a web site extolling the virtues of walking and biking to school and continue to promote green alternatives to driving. The Students could win up to $10,000 for their school if their project is rewarded.
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Bike Racks Available through Walk Bike Marin
Marin County has initiated a Bicycle Parking Program to provide bicycle racks and lockers at a substantial discount. Any private business, public agency, or non-profit organization located in Marin County, including the incorporated cities and towns, is eligible for the program The program’s goal is to provide bicycle parking, typically, with bolted or embedded ‘U’ type racks and/or bicycle lockers located at specific bicycle
destinations to encourage increased bicycle use. The possibility of bicycle theft is a strong deterrent to bicycle use, and secure bicycle parking facilities countywide are necessary to reduce vehicle trips whether it be for commuting, shopping, traveling to and from school, or to reach a recreational destination.
The Marin County Department of Public Works is administering the Bicycle Parking Program funded by a Transportation Fund for Clean Air grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Transportation Authority of Marin to help private businesses, local jurisdictions, school districts, and other public agencies in Marin County install bicycle racks, and lockers. The program provides partial reimbursement to businesses and agencies that install bicycle parking facilities in a convenient location for use by patrons and/or employees.
Developers or owners that are required to provide bicycle parking as a condition. For more information go to www.walkbikemarin.org/bikeparking/
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:
Project Coordinator:
Laura Kelly
415-456-3469 ext. 2#
laura@marinbike.org
For information on
school classes:
Project Coordinator
for Logistics:
Peggy Clark
415-456-3469 ext 6#
peggy@marinbike.org
