Community

Community

Safer Routes, Stronger Communities: Safe Routes to Schools Unveils Its Fall Program

This semester’s overarching theme, “Community and Consistency,” encourages students to make active transportation part of their weekly routine by inviting a friend to walk, roll, or carpool to school. Not just on event days, but all year long.

Download the above social media image
Download the 11x 17 bilingual poster

The Journey To and From School Can Be Just as Rewarding as the Destination

SEPTEMBER 16
Walk & Roll Back to School Day when the fun begins!

OCTOBER  7
International Walk to School Day
is the program’s biggest celebration of the year.

NOVEMBER 18
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
schools across Marin come together to celebrate courage, inclusion, and the power of walking together.

DECEMBER 2 or 9
Winter Walk & Roll to School Day is for schools looking for one more reason to get outside and participate in an optional event.

 

Suggested Route Maps: Getting to School Just Got a Little Easier

Beginning this fall, families at 36 public schools across Marin County can use new Suggested Route Maps from Safe Routes to Schools to help walk or roll to and from campus. Whether students travel on foot, by scooter, skateboard, wheelchair, or bicycle, the maps highlight the suggested routes to schools.

The new maps are the product of more than a year of teamwork. Safe Routes to Schools traffic engineers worked alongside school administrators, parents, elected officials, and, in some cases, students to identify the best routes to school. Engineers from Parametrix, the program’s engineering consultant, studied traffic patterns, reviewed infrastructure, and fine-tuned each map, which were approved by each jurisdiction’s Public Works department to identify practical, family-friendly routes.

Families can find the maps, organized by school district, on the Safe Routes to Schools website.

Explore your Route and Download your School’s Map Here.

 

SR2S Dashboard

Want to know how students at your school are getting to class—and how your school compares with others across Marin?

Click the image above and find out! Our brand-new Marin County Safe Routes to Schools Dashboard lets you instantly explore how many students walk, bike, carpool, take transit, or arrive by car.

Compare schools, discover trends, and see how travel habits have changed since 2022.

How active and green are your school trips? Take a look!

IMPORTANT E-BIKE LAWS VETTED BY INDUSTRY LAWYERS

Any throttle motor that can be switched to go speeds beyond 20 mph on motor power alone, is considered “out of class” – it is not an e-bike, it is a motor vehicle and requires a student to be at least 16 years old with a driver’s license and registration.  (Same as e-scooters).

Under the guidance of our insurers and legal counsel, there are many brands (e.g. Super73, Surron) that fall into the “out-of-class” category that can no longer be accepted in classes.

A bill pending in CA legislature would address “multiple mode” products, not leaving it up to the consumers to interpret. Other bills are pending to address a minimum age requirement of 16 for Class 2.

Community

Community and Consistency

Safer Routes, Stronger Communities: Safe Routes to Schools Unveils Its Fall Program

This semester’s overarching theme, “Community and Consistency,” encourages students to make active transportation part of their weekly routine by inviting a friend to walk, roll, or carpool to school. Not just on event days, but all year long.

Download the above social media image
Download the 11x 17 bilingual poster

The Journey To and From School Can Be
Just as Rewarding as the Destination

SEPTEMBER 16
Walk & Roll Back to School Day when the fun begins!

OCTOBER  7
International Walk to School Day
is the program’s biggest celebration of the year.

NOVEMBER 18
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
schools across Marin come together to celebrate courage, inclusion, and the power of walking together.

DECEMBER 2 or 9
Winter Walk & Roll to School Day is for schools looking for one more reason to get outside and participate in an optional event.

 

Suggested Route Maps: Getting to School Just Got a Little Easier

Beginning this fall, families at 36 public schools across Marin County can use new Suggested Route Maps from Safe Routes to Schools to help walk or roll to and from campus. Whether students travel on foot, by scooter, skateboard, wheelchair, or bicycle, the maps highlight the suggested routes to schools.

The new maps are the product of more than a year of teamwork. Safe Routes to Schools traffic engineers worked alongside school administrators, parents, elected officials, and, in some cases, students to identify the best routes to school. Engineers from Parametrix, the program’s engineering consultant, studied traffic patterns, reviewed infrastructure, and fine-tuned each map, which were approved by each jurisdiction’s Public Works department to identify practical, family-friendly routes.

Families can find the maps, organized by school district, on the Safe Routes to Schools website.

Explore your Route and Download your School’s Map Here.

SR2S Dashboard

Want to know how students at your school are getting to class—and how your school compares with others across Marin?

Click the image above and find out! Our brand-new Marin County Safe Routes to Schools Dashboard lets you instantly explore how many students walk, bike, carpool, take transit, or arrive by car.

Compare schools, discover trends, and see how travel habits have changed since 2022.

How active and green are your school trips? Take a look!

IMPORTANT E-BIKE LAWS VETTED BY INDUSTRY LAWYERS

Any throttle motor that can be switched to go speeds beyond 20 mph on motor power alone, is considered “out of class” – it is not an e-bike, it is a motor vehicle and requires a student to be at least 16 years old with a driver’s license and registration.  (Same as e-scooters).

Under the guidance of our insurers and legal counsel, there are many brands (e.g. Super73, Surron) that fall into the “out-of-class” category that can no longer be accepted in classes.

A bill pending in CA legislature would address “multiple mode” products, not leaving it up to the consumers to interpret. Other bills are pending to address a minimum age requirement of 16 for Class 2.

Let’s Planet Together

Let’s Planet Together

Safe Routes to Schools Luncheon

Parent Volunteers and Community Liaisons from elementary schools in Marin are invited to the Safe Routes to Schools luncheon on Thursday, August 27, 2026 from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm at the offices of the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM), located at 900 Fifth Avenue, Suite 100, San Rafael. 

RSVP here or email [email protected] or [email protected]

Safe Routes to Schools Names
New Program Director

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.

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.

BIKE HERO WINNERS 2026 – 

There were 86 nominations and 19 schools represented in this year’s Bike Hero contest. Teachers, parents, neighbors, and fellow students sent in testimonials of children leading their peers, climbing big hills, battling the weather – all while obeying the rules of the road on bike. We congratulate all the students nominated and hope they continue to inspire their peers! Four students were selected to receive a $50 gift card to a store of their choice.

Read about our 2026 Student Bike Heroes: HERE

SR2S Dashboard

Every semester, student travel surveys are conducted across Marin County to better understand how students commute to school. These results are now accessible through the new Marin County Safe Routes to Schools Dashboard, an interactive online tool that displays travel mode trends at participating schools. Use the link, click the image above, or visit the dashboard on the Resources page to see school travel trends from 2008 to present.

IMPORTANT E-BIKE LAWS VETTED BY INDUSTRY LAWYERS

Any throttle motor that can be switched to go speeds beyond 20 mph on motor power alone, is considered “out of class” – it is not an e-bike, it is a motor vehicle and requires a student to be at least 16 years old with a driver’s license and registration.  (Same as e-scooters).

Under the guidance of our insurers and legal counsel, there are many brands (e.g. Super73, Surron) that fall into the “out-of-class” category that can no longer be accepted in classes.

A bill pending in CA legislature would address “multiple mode” products, not leaving it up to the consumers to interpret. Other bills are pending to address a minimum age requirement of 16 for Class 2.

Here’s to a Greener New Year

Here’s to a Greener New Year

text: Walk and Roll

Buddy Up Contest Winners, 2025

65 groups of walkers, rollers, and carpoolers were nominated for the annual Buddy Up contest this year! Buddy Up encourages friends to walk, roll, carpool and ride the bus together for sustainable, healthy habits!

Read the wonderful testimonials from parents, and neighbors: HERE

 

IMPORTANT E-BIKE LAWS VETTED BY INDUSTRY LAWYERS

Any throttle motor that can be switched to go speeds beyond 20 mph on motor power alone, is considered “out of class” – it is not an e-bike, it is a motor vehicle and requires a student to be at least 16 years old with a driver’s license and registration.  (Same as e-scooters)
Under the guidance of our insurers and legal counsel, there are many brands (e.g. Super73, Surron) that fall into the “out-of-class” category that can no longer be accepted in classes.

A bill pending in CA legislature would address “multiple mode” products, not leaving it up to the consumers to interpret. Other bills are pending to address a minimum age requirement of 16 for Class 2.

Come one, come all, celebrate Walk and Roll this fall!

Come one, come all, celebrate Walk and Roll this fall!

Come one, come all,
celebrate Walk and Roll this fall!

Make Walk and Roll Wednesdays a Weekly Habit

Help your child practice safe rolling or strolling to school at least once per week (e.g. Wednesdays).  It’s fun and builds independence while teaching safety skills for crossing the street or riding in traffic.

To host events at your school, contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

To register your school and receive extra swag from AAA, go HERE

text: Walk and Roll

Buddy Up Contest

The Buddy Up annual contest promotes groups of students to walk, bike, carpool, or take the bus together. Healthy habits are more likely to stick when students and their families support each other. There’s safety in numbers as groups are more easily seen by drivers. Best of all, friendships and fun memories are formed!

Nominate your 2025 Buddy Up group HERE

The 2024 Winners are HERE

Save Gas, Save Money

Save Gas, Save Money

Ruby Bridges Pays
Virtual Visit to Marin School

Ruby Bridges, the trailblazing civil rights icon and children’s book author, virtually visited Lucas Valley Elementary on March 28, appearing on a giant screen in the school’s auditorium. Hundreds of excited students eagerly listened as she shared her story and answered their questions. The school earned this rare opportunity by winning a national raffle sponsored by AAA, open to elementary schools across the country.

Safe Routes to Schools first connected Marin elementary students with Bridges’ legacy in 2021 by launching the inaugural Ruby Bridges Walk and Roll to School Day at Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy with almost 100% participation. Since then, the November event has grown to include 35 elementary schools across Marin County. The initiative honors Bridges’ courageous walk to school at just six years old, when she faced hostile crowds daily as the first African American child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South. Her bravery played a pivotal role in the desegregation of schools in the early 1960s – a legacy that continues to inspire students today.

READ MORE

Bike Hero Award 2025

A Bike Hero is a GREAT “ROLL” MODEL!

Each Spring, parents, administrators, teachers and friends are invited to nominate a student Bike Hero. A Bike Hero is any student who gets up early to ride regularly, inspires others to bike, and obeys all rules of the road. Two Marin County elementary and middle school students are selected to win a $50.00 gift card to a store of choice.

Nominate your 2025 Bike Hero: HERE.

 

Be E-Bike Safe

Safety is our first priority for students. Know the laws and recommendations
before putting kids on e-wheels: HERE

Guidelines to stay safe while riding
e-bikes and what to know when buying
one for your child.

Download this important information from Transportation Authority of Marin.

What Parents Should Know

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