Safe Routes to School E-News March 2011
In this monthly e-news update, we will keep you informed about resources and support available through the Sonoma County Safe Routes to School program, inform you about logistics regarding upcoming or prior events and share any other ideas and inspiration for keeping children motivated to walk and bicycle to school safely year round.
1. FREQUENT WALK/ROLL PROGRAM GRANT AWARDS – ONE ADDITIONAL GRANT STILL AVAILABLE – 3/18 DEADLINE!
2. SPRING WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY EVENTS – DEADLINE EXTENDED!
3. BIKE/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EDUCATION AVAILABLE TO SANTA ROSA SCHOOLS, VIA SANTA ROSA POLICE DEPARTMENT
4. SRTS PROGRAMS: MINIMIZING LIABILITY RISKS
5. STREET SKILLS FOR CYCLIST CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND TEENS
6. EDUCATE YOURSELF BY WATCHING AN SRTS WEBINAR
7. APRIL SRTS NEWSLETTER BLURB AND ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR ONGOING WALK/ROLL ENCOURAGEMENT
8. BECOME OUR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL FACEBOOK FRIEND!
9. CHECK OUT THE SONOMA COUNTY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WEBSITE
10. CONTACT US TO ARRANGE FOR SRTS CONSULTING FOR YOUR SITE/DISTRICT
1. FREQUENT WALK/ROLL PROGRAM GRANT AWARDS
In the February E-News, we announced that any Sonoma County School that participated in the Fall 2010 International Walk and Roll to School Day may apply for a Spring 2011 Frequent Walk/Roll Program Grant, and that three eligible schools will be awarded a grant this year.
Grant recipients receive a supply of Frequent Walk/Roll Cards, a supply of posters to hang around the school, and a free bicycle gift certificate to utilize as a raffle prize for their Spring 2011 program.
Grant applications were originally due on Monday, February 21st, however, we extended the application deadline to Friday, March 4th.
We are pleased to announce this years awardees: Prestwood Elementary School in Sonoma, and Hidden Valley Elementary School in Santa Rosa.
Caroline Brown, Prestwood SRTS Team leader, indicates that Prestwood is planning a “Spring into Spring” theme to kick-off their program. Beginning April 1st, they will be asking children to submit their favorite song that they like to walk or roll to school, whether they like to hum, whistle, or sing as they walk. Frequent Walk-Roll cards will be sent home on April 15th, and the final drawing will take place on their final Walk & Roll Day event, on May 13th.
Jana Roche, Hidden Valley Team leader, indicates that they will also be having a Walk/Roll Day in May, and that their Frequent Walk/Roll program will span for approximately 4 weeks. They are also considering doing a walk-a-thon this Spring, so children who carpool or bus may update their cards during that time – or, they may try to incorporate special lunchtime walking for those children as well.
Since only two schools applied for the grant before our extended deadline, we are extending the deadline one more week and will award a grant to one additional school, should one apply.
The FINAL deadline for the Frequent Walk-Roll program grant is Friday, March 18th.
2. SPRING WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY – deadline extended
We have had recent inquiries from schools asking whether the Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program is coordinating a countywide Walk & Roll to School Day this Spring.
Unfortunately, at this time, the County SRTS program is only able to support one countywide Walk & Roll to School program per year, International Walk and Roll to School Day, which takes place on the first Wednesday in October. Registration for the October Walk and Roll to School Day will be announced in the SRTS E-News, so please keep your eyes open for that!
Although the County SRTS Program is not able to support a Spring Walk and Roll to School Day on a countywide level, we can provide technical support to schools who are interested in holding their own Walk and Roll to School Day events, and we may be able to provide a limited number of small incentive prizes for your event (pencils & stickers) on a first come, first serve basis.
If you are planning to hold your own Walk and Roll to School Day event this Spring, please email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org.
Requests for Spring 2011 Walk & Roll to School Day support must be received no later than Friday, March, 25th, 2011.
Request emails must include the following information:
School Name
School Location
Team Leader Name:
Team Leader Contact information:
Number of students enrolled at school:
Number of students who participated in Fall 2010 International Walk and Roll to School Day:
Your Planned Walk/Roll to School Day date:
3. BIKE/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EDUCATION AVAILABLE TO SANTA ROSA SCHOOLS, VIA SANTA ROSA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Thanks to a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, The Santa Rosa Police Department’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Outreach Program is able to support schools in the Santa Rosa City limits with bicycle/pedestrian safety presentations and/or assemblies this Spring 2011. Support is available on a first come, first serve basis, as schedule and funding permits. If you are interested in having a representative from the Santa Rosa Police Department come to your site, please contact either Kris Capeheart, Community Outreach officer, at kcapeheart@srcity.org, or Tina Panza, SRTS Director, at tinap@bikesonoma.org
The SRPD also has the resources to deliver one bicycle skill/safety rodeo to one site this Spring or Summer, again, first come, first serve. The site must provide volunteers to support the event, tables, chairs, and access to electricity and bathrooms. A bicycle skill/safety rodeo is a 3-hour on-bike education course appropriate for students in grades K-6. Courses run for 3 hours and take place after school, or on a Saturday. School day classes can also be accommodated for up to two 4th grade classrooms. Open dates are limited. For more details, contact Tina Panza.
4. SRTS PROGRAMS: MINIMIZING LIABILITY RISKS
The following article was written by Sarah Zimmerman, a senior staff attorney at Public Health Law & Policy), a nonprofit research and training center based in Oakland, California. and published in the January 2011 issue of HealthyCal.org:
http://www.healthycal.org/safe-routes-to-school-minimizing-the-liability-risks.html
More than a decade ago California led the way for the “Safe Routes to School” movement, an international effort aimed at making it safer and more appealing for kids to use their own power to get to and from school. Mapping out routes, organizing groups of young walkers and bicyclists, and funding street and sidewalk improvements are some of the hallmarks of Safe Routes to School programs.
California was the first state in the country to pass a law providing money for Safe Routes to School programs in 1999. The programs became a permanent fixture with a 2007 law that ensured funding through the state transportation fund.
While some children walk or bike to school without an organized program, schools, parent groups and nonprofits can adopt formal programs to get more children on board and improve safety. Encouraging children to walk or bike to school is a simple way to promote exercise, help children arrive at school focused and ready to learn, and reduce air pollution and traffic congestion.
Despite all the advantages, we’ve found that school districts are sometimes afraid to launch a Safe Routes to School program. Why? Because they’re worried about being sued if an injury occurs.
But liability fears shouldn’t stop school districts from supporting these programs. There haven’t been any lawsuits involving an injury to a child in an organized Safe Routes to School program to date, even though there are programs in place at more than 4,500 schools across the country. Sports programs can actually pose more of a liability risk for schools – but schools understand that the relatively low risk and many benefits of sports programs are worth it. What’s more, California school districts that sponsor or endorse a Safe Routes to School program have “governmental immunity,” which offers more protection from a lawsuit.
School districts aren’t completely immune to liability risk, especially if they – rather than a community group or local agency – actively take responsibility for running the program. But there are many ways for anyone running a Safe Routes to School program to minimize the risk of liability. Some tips:
· Organize a “walking school bus” program, where parents or volunteers get basic training and walk a group of children to school.
· Avoid, repair, or eliminate potential hazards. If something is broken or poorly designed that could easily be fixed, do so or alert the agency that’s responsible for it. Can children avoid a hazard by entering and exiting the school through a different location? Can you work with the city or county to implement traffic-calming measures near the school? Document any steps you take to address possible hazards.
· Try to make sure any group that’s running the program has insurance that covers Safe Routes to School activities. In California, state PTA insurance may provide some coverage if the PTA has endorsed the program, although it doesn’t cover school districts directly.
· Be explicit about who holds responsibility. In California, school districts generally aren’t legally responsible for protecting students from harm on the way to and from school. If your program provides maps with “suggested” routes, explain in writing that program organizers do not guarantee the routes’ safety or take responsibility for the trip.
· Teach students safe pedestrian and bicycling practices. Local police, nonprofit organizations, and even bike shop staff can help provide safety trainings.
Liability fears tend to be overblown when it comes to Safe Routes to School programs. In fact, Safe Routes to School programs can actually lower schools’ exposure to liability by identifying potential dangers and putting measures in place to protect kids against injury.
By taking some commonsense precautions and addressing hazards responsibly, school districts, parent groups, and local agencies can launch Safe Routes to School programs to help give children the physical activity they need to be healthy and learn well.
5. STREET SKILLS FOR CYCLIST CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND TEENS
Do you know parents who would love to ride their bikes with their children, but don’t feel comfortable doing so because they fear riding in traffic? Do you observe parents and/or teens who do ride, but who are not observing the rules of the road?
Please inform your school community that the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition offers low-cost Street Skills for Cyclist classes for both adults and teens. Classes take place at a central location in Santa Rosa. Arrangements can also be made to offer a class at your school or district, as funding and availability permits.
Street Skills for Cyclists classes are for ALL levels, whether you have been commuting by bike for years, or are rolling your bike out of the garage for the first time since turning 16. Participants who take the class learn about rules of the road, as well as the tricks and methods of effectively and safely dealing with traffic and other road users. The seminar is taught by Martin Clinton, League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor, utilizing proven slide illustrations,diagrams, video clips, and more. A bicycle is not required for the lecture but participants are welcome to ride to the seminar.
Santa Rosa classes are held once a month, on the first Saturday or Sunday.
Spring 2011 dates:
April Class cancelled
Sunday, May 1st
Saturday, June 4th
Times:
Adult
class
8:45 AM to 12:45 PM
Youth
class:
1:45 PM to 3:45 PM
How to sign up:
Parents may sign up for the class by emailing christie@bikesonoma.org or calling the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition at 707-545-0152.
Seminar Fee*:
General Public: $20.00
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition members: $10.00
Special class and membership deal: join SCBC at the class and the class cost is only $
*contact saferoutes@bikesonoma.org to inquire about availability and fees for school or district on-site classes
Satisfaction Guarantee:
If participants are not 100% satisfied, SCBC will refund your class fee! Participants may retake the class at any time at no additional cost.
6. EDUCATE YOURSELF BY WATCHING AN SRTS WEBINAR
The National Center for Safe Routes to School partners with America Walks to offer a series of SRTS-related Webinars. The Safe Routes Coaching Action Network (CAN) Webinars are designed to educate individuals and organizations on topics that will assist with successful outreach efforts.
The next webinar, How to Build a Walking School Bus Program from Grass Roots Up: Best Practices in Design, Implementation and Dissemination, will be offered on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 from 1-2pm.
The National Center archives all past SRTS webinars on its website. Recent topics include Going High Tech with Safe Routes to School, Top Ten SRTS Engineering Treatments for Improving Walking/Bicycling, and Making New Places for Play: Joint Use Agreements Between Schools and Parks.
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/training/can_webinars.cfm
7. APRIL SRTS NEWSLETTER BLURB AND ACTIVITIES IDEAS FOR ONGOING WALK/ROLL ENCOURAGEMENT/EDUCATION
April Newsletter Blurb: Walk and Bike for Earth Day
What better way to walk lightly on Mother Earth than to walk to school every day. With the coming of spring and warmer weather, now is the time to pump up your efforts and try walking or biking to school every day. Short motor trips contribute significant amounts of air pollution because they typically occur while an engine’s pollution control system is cold and ineffective. Shifting 1% of automobile trips to walking or biking can decrease emissions by 2-4%. Schools that are designed so children can walk and bicycle have measurably better air quality. Bus riders are doing their part too. Traveling by bus instead of car cuts nitrogen oxide pollution by 25 %, carbon monoxide by 80% and hydrocarbons by 90% per passenger mile. One full 40 foot bus will take 58 cars off the road. Using fossil fuels leads to the emission of carbon dioxide, a key contributor to global climate changes.
Using a Carbon Calculator gives a good indication of how much carbon emissions are created as part of your day-to-day routine. You can figure out your own personal usage with a Carbon Calculator available on-line at a number of web sites, including www.saveagallon.org, mentioned in the January SRTS E-News. World Resources Institute also (www.safeclimate.net/calculator/) offers them and will assist you in calculating your carbon emission from your travel and home use.
Activities:
· Hold a special Earth Day Walk and Roll to School Day. Have the kids dress as their favorite animal
· Implement the Frequent Walk/Roll program during the month of April and/or April/May to encourage children to walk or bike as often as they can.
· Pass out garbage bags the day before and ask the kids to pick up litter on their walk to school.
· Prepare fact sheets on the relationship between transportation and the environment and provide these to the science teachers.
· Set a goal of reducing Co2 for the month. Count each walking and biking trip as one mile and using an on-line Co2 calculator, compute the weekly Co2 reductions. Put up a poster in a central location to show how much Co2 you have reduced.
· Give out awards for Earth Angels who walk or bike frequently.
· Start a weekly or monthly “Golden Sneaker Award.” To request a Golden Sneaker Award Guidebook, email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org or download at
Did you know that the Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program has a Facebook page?
If you are a “facebooking person” please consider “liking” us to receive updates on SRTS related happenings in Sonoma County and beyond.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Sonoma-County-Safe-Routes-to-School/288911572777
9. CHECK OUT THE SONOMA COUNTY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WEBSITE!
The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program also has a website where you can learn more about the five E’s of a comprehensive Safe Routes to School Program – Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, and Evaluation. There are downloadable resources available for each of the E’s, including lesson plans from our CA standards based K-6 SRTS curriculum guide. You can also view E-News archives from previous months.
10. CONTACT US TO ARRANGE FOR SRTS CONSULTING FOR YOUR SITE/DISTRICT
Interested in starting a Safe Routes to School program at your school and/or district but not sure where to begin? Contact your SRTS area lead to receive more information and possibly book a consultation or presentation with one of our County Safe Routes to School Program Managers or your city lead. We can provide guidance about the resources currently available through the countywide program, and help you determine what would be most effective and feasible for your district or site, given your interests and resources.
Cities/Area Leads:
Cotati: Tina Panza - tinap@bikesonoma.org
Cloverdale: Tina Panza - tinap@bikesonoma.org
Healdsburg: Tina Panza - tinap@bikesonoma.org or Lissa Beard - lbeard@husd.com
Petaluma: Becky Schuerman-Choi - bschuerman@juno.com
Monte Rio/River: Tina Panza - tinap@bikesonoma.org
Rohnert Park: Amy Jolly - amybjolly@yahoo.com
Sebastopol/West County: Steven Schmitz – steven@sctransit.com
Sonoma: Carole Latorre – latorrec@aol.com
Santa Rosa: Tina Panza – tinap@bikesonoma.org
Windsor: Laurel Green – lgreen@wusd.org
School Districts with Federal SRTS Grants:
Bellevue School District/Santa Rosa: Lacinda Moore – laci@bikesonoma.org
Roseland School District/Santa Rosa: Lacinda Moore – laci@bikesonoma.org
Sebastopol Union School District School District: Sarah Hadler – sjhadler@aol.com
Cotati/Rohnert Park School District: Amy Jolly – ambjolly@yahoo.com
All the best,
The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Team
Tina Panza
Director, Safe Routes to School
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
mobile: 707-799-3911
Office:
707.545.0153, fax: 707.573-0147
Mail: PO Box 3088, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-3088
Office: 750 Mendocino Ave. Suite 6, Santa Rosa CA
The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School program, funded in part by the Measure M transportation tax and in part by short-term federal grants to specific local jurisdictions, provides guidance and resources to schools interested in implementing at least one component of a Safe Routes to School program, as funding permits. The goal of Safe Routes to School programs is to encourage walking and bicycling where it is safe, and to make changes where it is not safe. SRTS programs do this through an integrated approach that includes five E's - encouragement, education, evaluation, engineering, and enforcement. However, a school can launch a SRTS program with just one component, and build from there. In doing so, SRTS programs address health and safety by reducing traffic congestion around schools, increasing physical activity, encouraging lifestyle changes for families, creating safer, calmer streets and neighborhoods, and improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition is the lead implementation agency for the county SRTS program.
