SR2S Newsletter Summer 2026
Safe Routes to Schools welcomes Erin Kahn as its new Program Director. A born-and-raised Marin native, Erin has a deep personal connection to the organization shaped by years of biking her children to school and witnessing the independence and confidence that experience fostered. Her work as a Safe Routes parent volunteer at Bacich Elementary has strengthened that connection and her appreciation for what the program means to school communities.
Erin steps into the role with deep respect for the foundation Gwen Froh built over nearly two decades and a commitment to carrying that work forward by sustaining the partnerships, relationships, and program excellence that have made Safe Routes a countywide model for active transportation.
Erin brings 20 years of experience across K–12 education, edtech, and the nonprofit sector. She has a master’s degree in education and a B.S. in cell biology from UC Davis, and began her career as a science teacher before moving into program and partnership roles focused on capacity building, community engagement, and fundraising. She most recently served as Development Director for NAMIWalks San Francisco and as a capacity-building strategist supporting grassroots nonprofits.
Ask Erin how she gets around and the answer is almost always the same: cargo bike, some combination of kids in tow, possibly running slightly late.
Safe Routes to Schools received 86 inspiring nominations from 19 schools across Marin for the 2026 Bike Hero Contest. Teachers, parents, neighbors, and fellow students shared stories of young riders leading by example: tackling steep hills, riding through challenging weather, and always following the rules of the road with confidence and care.
With so many incredible students nominated, choosing the winners was no easy task. Every nomination highlighted the determination, leadership, and enthusiasm students bring to biking in their communities.
Congratulations to this year’s four outstanding Bike Hero winners. Here is what their nominators wrote about them.
Penny Picus, Lynwood Elementary 4th grade
Penny bikes to school whenever she can even though she lives more than three miles away. She follows all the rules and makes sure to be very diligent and safe. She also encourages others to bike to school with her. She is fantastic at keeping the whole pack in order.
Billy DeLamotte, Glenwood Elementary 5th grade
Billy DeLamotte’s father calls him the 100% boy. That’s because he and his brother, Tao, biked to school EVERY SINGLE DAY this school year RAIN or SHINE. He lives up a hill in the neighboring community of Loch Lomond and his route to Glenwood Elementary is about two miles long, part of which he has to bike on the sidewalk of San Pedro Road. Not only that, but he is also always positive and smiling and offers to help his dad distribute prizes and collect raffle tickets at the Safe Routes to School welcome table every month.
Maeve O’Connor, Kent Middle School 5th grade
Maeve is an exceptional bike-riding student who demonstrates this at school and in her local community. She has ridden her bike to school all year long – rain or wind, freezing hands in the winter, sweaty in the fall and currently this week in the heat! She is the oldest of three girls, so she helps her mother get the little ones off in the morning by showing independence and responsibility. She rides on her own and is a role model to her peers.
Dominic Ferrarese, San Jose Middle School 7th grade
Dominic (Dom) is a daily biker to school. The person who nominated him always sees him following the rules of the road, wearing a helmet, using his hand signals, staying in the bike lane, and generally being road safe. What’s more, Dom is respectful, creative, builds camaraderie, and is a leader in his school’s Walk or Roll events. Dom is a kind and dedicated human who loves to make the world a better place for everyone. Having role models like Dom on campus encourages others to rally together and make positive changes for the environment and community.
In honor of her retirement, Safe Routes to Schools founder Wendi Kallins reflects on the origins of the program, its lasting impact, and what’s next.
Safe Routes to Schools: How did you come up with the idea for Safe Routes?
Wendi Kallins: I was first inspired by Dan Burden of Walkable Communities, who created the citizen’s walk audit. I knew right then that it was something I wanted to do. But I wanted to focus on schools while at the same time teaching children about different ways to get around without a car. Later, when my friend Deb Hubsmith and I found out we were on the same page, we brainstormed ways we could educate the kids.
SR2S: How did the idea become reality?
WK: Deb began visiting schools on a homemade solar-powered electric bike, giving presentations about transportation. Around the same time, Anne Seeley of the California Department of Health discovered a program in England and Denmark called Safe Routes to School and helped us secure a $25,000 grant in 1999 to pilot it at Manor Elementary.
In 2000, additional funding followed from Congressman James Oberstar, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Marin Community Foundation, allowing us to expand to eight schools. The results were remarkable: Walking and biking increased by 57%, while the number of children arriving alone by car dropped by 29%.
The 2004 transportation sales tax provided permanent funding for Safe Routes, crossing guards, and infrastructure improvements. From there, the program grew to serve schools throughout Marin County and eventually became a national model.
SR2S: What has this experience meant to you?
WK: This has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I was able to carve out a living doing something I loved, that had meaning, and that aligned with my values. I firmly believe that our transportation system has been at the heart of our environmental crises and learned from experience that once an adult gets used to driving, it is hard to get them to change their habits; but if we could teach the kids before they started driving, we could at least show them there are multiple ways of getting around.
SR2S: What contributions do you think you made to society with the creation of Safe Routes?
WK: Safe Routes has changed the landscape across the country. When we started, traffic engineers saw bicycles and pedestrians as obstacles, not established transportation modes in their own rite. That has changed. More and more people are choosing walking and biking as a legitimate way to get around, especially for local trips including school trips.
SR2S: Is there something you would like to highlight about your legacy?
WK: I am most proud of utilizing the collaborative approach to problem solving in which we work together with the stakeholders to identify problems and solutions. By getting everyone on the same page as us, we were able to change the administrative culture around active transportation and thus obtained more funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Of course, it doesn‘t hurt that we are advocating for the safety of children.
I am also proud to have had the opportunity to help spread the program across the country. The ten years I spent traveling around the country training others in SR2S has helped to establish a lasting legacy for the program.
SR2S:Would you like to say something about your plans for after Safe Routes?
WK: Once an activist, always an activist. I’ll continue my work as president of Sustainable Marin and through my role on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission/ Association of Bay Area Governments Policy Advisory Council.
But I’m also looking forward to slowing down a bit and spending more time enjoying music, the outdoors, friends, and travel.
For 21 years, Gwen Froh has been one of the driving forces behind Safe Routes to Schools. As she retires, she looks back on the work, the people, and the impact that made the experience so meaningful.
SR2S: What have these 12 years at the helm of Safe Routes meant to you?
Gwen Froh: Leading Safe Routes for 12 of the 21 years I have been part of the program has been one of the greatest joys of my life. I have been fortunate to help children and families discover the joy of walking and biking while building healthier, more connected communities.
I am especially proud of the lasting impact our team has had on hundreds of thousands of children. Each year, we train thousands of students, partner with volunteers at schools throughout Marin, and engage roughly 45,000 students in Walk & Roll Wednesdays.
Safe Routes reflects the values I care about most: healthy communities, environmental stewardship, children’s independence, and the joy of moving together. I am deeply grateful to have spent my career doing work I love alongside people who share that passion.
SR2S: What do you consider your biggest achievement?
GF: I am especially proud of helping lead conversations around e-bike and e-moto safety while keeping the focus on children’s well-being. Over the past several years, I had the opportunity to speak at national conferences, participate in local policy discussions, and help Marin identify unsafe e-motos as the primary concern without discouraging the many benefits of e-bikes.
I’m also proud of the broader impact Safe Routes has had in Marin, where 32% of students walk or bike to school, which is well above the national average. Programs like Park and Walk have helped reduce congestion, improve safety, and make active transportation more accessible for families.
Ultimately, my greatest accomplishment has been helping create programs and partnerships that bring communities together to make children healthier, safer, happier, and more connected.
SR2S: How would you like your legacy to be seen?
GF: I still find it astonishing that something that started at my children’s school, Manor Elementary, 26 years ago has grown into a national movement replicated in communities across the country. I feel incredibly privileged to have been part of that growth, reputation, and legacy for the last 21 years. It’s never just been a job to me. It felt like being part of something bigger that truly makes children’s lives healthier, happier, safer, and more connected.
SR2S: What has been the brightest spot of your work with Safe Routes?
GF: The brightest spot has been the people and the impact. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside passionate colleagues, volunteers, and partners while seeing firsthand the difference we make every day: more kids walking and biking, fewer cars at schools, and stronger communities.
I am especially grateful to our volunteers, who are truly the heart of the program and make its success possible.
SR2S: What are your plans for the future?
GF: I am a brand new grandmother to a baby girl, so I plan to spend as much time as possible holding her in my arms and singing lullabies. That is at the top of the list.
I am also looking forward to more mountain biking and traveling to visit friends across the country. However, I still plan to join Manor’s iWalk and Bike to School days with their firetruck escort. That is where it all started for me, when my own kids were in elementary school.
At the end of this school year, several extraordinary Safe Routes volunteers are stepping away from their roles or elementary schools. Their dedication, creativity, and leadership encouraged an increasing number of students to walk and roll to school. Their impact will be felt for years to come.
Romelia Díaz, Bahia Vista Elementary
Steady. Reliable. Committed. Those are just a few of the words that come to mind when describing Romelia Diaz and her five years as a volunteer with Safe Routes to Schools. Throughout that time, Romelia never missed a single event, a remarkable testament to her dedication. She was always thinking one step ahead: preparing outreach materials, making sure she fully understood each event’s logistics, and finding creative ways to boost participation.
“It has been a real pleasure to work with Romelia,” says Safe Routes to Schools Bilingual Coordinator Monica Leifer. “She is resourceful, enthusiastic, and incredibly easygoing. She brings a smile to students’ faces during Walk and Roll events.”
Romelia is stepping away from her volunteer role as her daughter moves on to middle school. While she will be greatly missed, her impact on the Safe Routes to Schools community will be felt for years to come.
Jeff Shankle and the Rancho Riders,
Rancho Elementary
Jeff Shankle hasn’t been a volunteer in the traditional sense, but he has made one of the most meaningful contributions a parent can make to Safe Routes: He has modeled something that many others want to imitate.
Six years ago, Jeff began riding to school with his sons, Saul and Theo, in a cargo bike. When his younger son reached second grade they moved to regular bikes. Other children saw how safe and fun it was and began joining them; even the school principal has ridden along. Jeff leads the group each morning and afternoon. Today the Rancho Riders has grown to at least two dozen kids.
Last year Jeff and his sons started awarding milestone badges—50, 100, 200, and 300 miles—to recognize participants. Some riders say they’ve logged more than two thousand miles commuting to school over the years. The Rancho Riders have become a model for community-led school travel in Novato; nearby schools regularly ask how to replicate the program, and several are preparing to start their own groups.
The Rancho Riders, Jeff is leaving them in the very good hands of a group of parents who have been involved with the group for a while.
And what about Jeff’s future? “For middle school the plan is to ride with my sons and others for the first month and then let them go on their own,” he said. “It’s 2.5 miles, across two four‑lane roads, with a 160‑foot hill in the last half mile—so we’ll see.”
Gustavo Rodríguez has coordinated the Walk and Roll program at Ross Valley Charter School for the past four years. He began by partnering with another parent who was already leading the effort, and for the past three years he has taken on a primary leadership role, supported by his wife and a dedicated group of school parents who help run the welcome table. Known for his exceptional dedication, Gustavo consistently brings creativity and enthusiasm to every event he organizes.
He aligns Walk and Roll dates with Manor School to create a larger, more visible, and safer bike train. Twice a year, students enjoy the added excitement of being escorted by firefighters and police officers along the route, just one example of the thoughtful, engaging touches Gustavo brings to the program. Gustavo and his daughter regularly bike to school, and the program provides a meaningful opportunity to inspire more students and families to do the same.
At the end of each ride, parents have the chance to connect, strengthening relationships and building a strong sense of community within the school. Gustavo’s commitment, creativity, and leadership have left a lasting impact, and he will be deeply missed by Safe Routes and the entire Ross Valley elementary school community.
Alma Calderón, Coleman Elementary
Nobody could better describe Alma Calderón’s experience as a parent volunteer than she can.
“As a parent volunteer at Coleman Elementary, I’ve seen firsthand how meaningful the Safe Routes ‘Walk and Roll’ program is for students. My son, Jeffrey, always looked forward to the monthly events, but because we live too far to walk or bike on school days, we parked a little farther away and biked the rest of the way. It became something we both anticipated.
“When I attended elementary school at Bahia Vista, my mother worked so much she didn’t have time to walk us to school, so for me to do this with my son felt special. In third grade, Jeffrey won a Walk and Roll challenge and received a bike customized just for him, which helped him build confidence. With encouragement from his dad, he took off and never looked back.
“After that the PTO president invited me to volunteer. It’s been a joy to see students arrive each morning with their bikes and scooters, bundled up on cold days but full of excitement. Jeffrey loved helping and announcing winners during the morning message.
“As we wrap up the year and prepare for his transition to middle school, this experience feels bittersweet. It has been a meaningful part of our time at Coleman, and something I will truly miss.”
Deena Blas, Pleasant Valley
It did not take Deena Blas a sprinkle of pixie dust to work her magic on the Safe Routes program at Pleasant Valley: she brought her own. With a generous dash of creativity and a whole lot of enthusiasm, she transformed every event into something unmistakably hers.
For three years, her takes on IWalk, National Bike to School Day, and Ruby Bridges Walk and Roll Day sparkled with her signature balloon arches, buzzed with walking school buses and bike trains, and popped with special prizes, not to mention guest appearances from the local police and fire departments. The result? Throngs of excited elementary schoolers, lining up by the hundreds at her welcome table, ready to join the fun.
Her visually vibrant events caught the eye of the Marin Independent Journal twice and her ideas have since inspired fellow parent volunteers to follow her lead.
“You’ve provided me with so much guidance but also let me make it my own. I will always hold this program close to heart,” Deena shared. She added, “In this day and age of technology and convenience, it’s nice to have a program that reminds everyone to embrace something so basic as walking and rolling to school. It costs nothing, builds community, and offers so much benefit to the environment and our health.”
“Joy of Cycling” poster art by Novato High student, Brenda Aparicio.
Eco-Counter Pilot organizers from left to right: Jason Matlon (Principal Old Mill School), Anand Ramachandran (member of TMAC), Bill Hoppin (Chairman of TMAC), Nicole McClay (Old Mill School parent), Steve Moazed (member of TMAC), and Urban Carmel (City of Mill Valley Council Member).
The machine just looks like a small plastic box attached to a pole, but what it can achieve is substantial. The Eco-Counter, a sensor programmed to count walkers and bikers passing by, proved to be an effective tool to increase the number of daily walkers and bikers at Old Mill Elementary during a pilot that ran between February and March.
Eco-Counter is a technology that has been around for over 20 years, mostly in Europe, and in the US has largely been deployed for multi-use paths and bike pathways, so the idea of modifying habits in a school setting is considered a unique application. The sensor captures bikers using pressure tubes and pedestrians through infrared detection.
Once the City of Mill Valley agreed to pay $10,000 for the machine, the technical support, and the implementation of the pilot, Old Mill Principal, Jason Matlon, was quick to jump at the opportunity of a pilot at his school.
At the beginning of the trial period in February, the baseline average number of daily walkers at Old Mill was 45. In the last week of May, there were 65, a 25 percent increase. Something more impressive happened with the bikers, whose numbers jumped from 10 each day to 22.
Bill Hoppin, Chairman of the Traffic and Mobility Advisory Committee in Mill Valley and lead of the project, attributes the increase in the active trips to the power of numbers and effective communication. “The community was promoting this, the Principal was promoting it to the parents. It was fun, it was exciting and the kids started [trying to figure out how to increase the numbers]. There was a tipping point, where all those kids biking to school were seen by other kids and they started wanting to do it and change their habits. Slowly they saw the numbers start climbing and, over the last month, the school hit the community goal,” Hoppin says.
Principal Matlon highlights that the aspect of the pilot that he likes the most is that it helps change habits without the need of a material incentive. The reward for the participants is just being part of a group trying to reach a collective goal.
“We should do one more school here in Mill Valley next year. We should do the program around other communities in Marin County and that’s how you start to build it up. I am very enthusiastic about this program!,” says City Council Member Urban Carmel.
As Hoppin put it, “It’s important to move the needle in a way that is going to be persistent and part of a goal.”
Teen creativity took center stage once again as art students at Novato High School designed the official middle and high school posters for Bike to School Day.
For the third year in a row, students transformed a Safe Routes to Schools campaign into a vibrant artistic collaboration, this year inspired by the theme “Joy of Cycling.” Over several weeks, 54 student artists developed original poster concepts under the guidance of art teacher Roxana Leiva.
“Our partnership is a good practice for students to see their work outside the classroom and into the community with a particular purpose, and a great cause,” said Leiva.
The winning design was selected by students at Kent Middle School and Archie Williams High School. The artwork — created by Juan Ortega — features a bold, whimsical scene of a bicyclist soaring off a ramp into a colorful sky filled with planets, capturing the excitement, freedom, and imagination that cycling can inspire. Ortega received a $50 gift card for his winning entry, while five additional students earned honorable mentions.
Hundreds of posters featuring Ortega’s artwork were distributed and displayed across 12 middle and high schools throughout Marin County, helping build excitement and student engagement leading up to Bike to School Day.
Safe Routes to Schools is inviting members of the community to get involved in the Marin County School Access Safety Action Plan, a project led by the Transportation Authority of Marin, which is a countywide roadmap to improve safety around campuses. The plan combines data analysis with on-the-ground input to identify risks and prioritize solutions, ultimately delivering site-specific recommendations and tools that local jurisdictions can use to secure funding and make improvements.
Residents are encouraged to get involved, whether by joining a safety audit, attending a task force meeting, or simply sharing their experiences. Here are the upcoming safety audits:
The safety audit process is one of the project’s most impactful components. The project team is conducting audits — similar to Safe Routes walk audits — at priority locations throughout the county that were selected due to their high number of crashes involving adults and children walking and rolling.
These audits bring together parents, school and city staff, and transportation professionals to observe real conditions on the ground. Participants identify safety concerns such as difficult crossings, traffic conflicts, and gaps in sidewalks, while also discussing practical, community-informed solutions to improve safety and accessibility for everyone.
Because audits are rooted in lived experience, they often reveal issues that data alone can miss, helping ensure that future improvements reflect the needs of the people who use these routes every day.
Community voices continue to shape the plan through Safe Routes task force meetings, where participants can share feedback, discuss priorities, and collaborate on solutions for the priority areas.
If you have questions or want to participate, contact Jen Shriber at [email protected]
Did you know California law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians waiting in a marked crosswalk? It’s one of many lessons more than 1,500 Marin County second graders learn each year through the Safe Routes to Schools Pedestrian Education Program.
Before children are ready to walk to school independently, they need the skills and confidence to navigate traffic safely. Through a classroom lesson and a supervised “Walk Around the Block” field trip, students learn how to cross streets correctly, recognize hazards, and stay alert around vehicles and driveways.
Along the route, students practice a simple routine: stop at the curb, look left, right, and left again, and listen for approaching traffic. They also learn to watch for vehicles entering and exiting driveways and to cross only when they feel it is safe.
By the end of the program, students leave with practical safety skills they can use every day.
Natalie Levine, a parent volunteer at Lu Sutton Elementary, helped organize this year’s classes. After the field trip, her daughter Julianne summed up the experience: “I loved it! But wow, it takes a while to properly walk across a street.”
