Walk, Bike, and Roll to School
Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School is a national movement to make it easier and safer for students to walk, bike, and roll to school. We work with the Seattle Department of Transportation to improve safety around schools and to support students to walk, bike, and roll.
February is Love Your Route Month!
Walk, bike, or bus to school on February 14th to show your love for your neighborhood and the earth! Contact Brooke for support organizing an event at your school.
About Walking, Rolling, and Biking to School
Translations: Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Somali, and Amharic
WHY Walking and biking to school is a fun way to get exercise, reduce congestion and pollution around schools, and create community. Studies say students who walk and bike to school arrive more alert and ready to learn!
WHAT
The district’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator (Brooke Nelson) can support you in any of these ideas and more (brnelson1@ngskmc-eis.net).
- Lead a walk to school group or bike train. Students can meet and walk or bike in together.
- Help with Walk to School Day on October 4.
- Apply for a Seattle Department of Transportation grant for up to $1,000 to pay for things like street murals, warm winter clothes, and event supplies.
- Share success stories and we’ll broadcast them in school and district newsletters.
[Spanish]
PORQUE Caminar y andar en bicicleta a la escuela es una forma divertida de hacer ejercicio, reducir la congestión y la contaminación alrededor de las escuelas y crear una comunidad. Los estudios dicen que los estudiantes que caminan o van en bicicleta a la escuela llegan más alertas y listos para aprender.
QUE
- Dirija una caminata del grupo escolar o un tren en bicicleta. Los estudiantes pueden reunirse y caminar o andar en bicicleta juntos.
- Ayuda en el Día de Caminar a la Escuela el 4 de octubre.
- Solicite una subvención del Departamento de Transporte de Seattle de hasta $1,000 para pagar cosas como murales callejeros, ropa abrigada de invierno y suministros para eventos.
- Comparta historias de éxito y las difundiremos en los boletines escolares y del distrito.
[Simplified Chinese]
为什么 步行和骑单车上学是一种有趣的锻炼方式，可以减少学校周围的拥塞和污染，同时可以建立社区。研究告诉我们，步行和骑单车上学的学生更加警觉同时准备好学习！
做什么
- 带领一组学生步行到学校或单车列队。学生可以集合起来，一起步行或骑单车到学校。
- 10月4日是帮助步行上学日。
- 你可以来申请西雅图交通部补助金，最高可达$1,000美元，来支付街头壁画，冬天穿的温暖衣服和活动用品等费用。
- 来与我们分享成功的故事，我们会在学校和校区新闻通讯中播出来。
[Vietnamese]
TẠI SAO Đi bộ và đi xe đạp đến trường là một hình thức thú vị để tập thể dục, giảm ùng tắc và ô nhiễm xung quanh trường học, đồng thời thiết lập cộng đồng. Các nghiên cứu cho biết những học sinh đi bộ và đạp xe đến trường sẽ tỉnh táo hơn và sẵn sàng học tập!
ĐIỀU GÌ
- Dẫn đầu một nhóm đi bộ đến trường học hoặc đoàn xe đạp. Học sinh có thể gặp và đi bộ hoặc đạp xe cùng nhau.
- Hãy giúp đỡ với Ngày đi bộ đến trường vào ngày 4 tháng 10.
- Nộp đơn xin trợ cấp của Seattle Department of Transportation lên đến $1,000 để thanh toán cho những vật như bức tranh tường đường phố, quần áo ấm mùa đông và đồ dùng cho sự kiện.
- Chia sẻ những câu chuyện thành công và chúng tôi sẽ đăng chúng lên các bản tin của trường và học khu.
[Somali]
Waayo U lugaynta iyo baaskiil ku imaanshaha dugsiga waa hab madadaalo leh oo lagu sameeyo jimicsi, lagu dhimo saxmadda iyo wasakhowga agagaarka dugsiyada, loona abuuro bulsho. Daraasaduhu waxay yiraahdeen ardayda u socota iyo baaskiilka ku taga dugsiga waxay la yimaadaan feejignaan dheeraad ah iyo diyaar u ahaan inay wax bartaan!
Maxay
- Hoggaami baaskiil ku imaanshaha dugsiga ama isku taxa baaskiilada. Ardaydu we kulmikaraan iyaga oo u lugaynaya ama baaskiil ku tegaya dugsiga.
- Ka Qaybqaado Maalinka Baaskiil ku Tagga Dugsiga ee October 4.
- Dalbo maalgelinta Waaxda Isgaarsiinta Seattle ee gaareysa ilaa $1,000 oo u adeegso bixinta kharashyada farshaxanka waddooyinka, dharka xilli qaboobaha, iyo kharashaadka kulamada.
- Nala wadaag guushaada si aanu ugu soo bandhigno warsidaha dugsiga iyo kan degmadaba.
[Amharic]
ለምን ወደ ትምህርት ቤት በእግር እና ብስክሌት መሄድ የአካል ብቃት እንቅስቃሴ ለማድረግ፣በትምህርት ቤቶች አካባቢ ያለውን መጨናነቅ እና ብክለት ለመቀነስ እንዲሁም ማህበረሰብ ለመፍጠር አስደሳች መንገድ ነው።ወደ ትምህርት ቤት በእግር እና በብስክሌት የሚጓዙ ተማሪዎች የበለጠ ንቁ እና ለመማር ዝግጁ እንደሚሆኑ ጥናቶች ያሳያሉ!
ምንድን
- ወደ ትምህርት ቤት ብእግር ወይም በብስክሌት የሚሄዱ ቡድን ይምሩ። ተማሪዎች ተገናኝተው አብረው በእግር ወይም ብስክሌት መሄድ ይችላሉ።
- በየትምህርት ቤት የእግር ጉዞ ቀን -ጥቅምት 4 ያግዙ።
- እንደ የመንገድ ላይ የግድግዳ ሥዕሎች፣ሞቃታማ የክረምት ልብሶች እና የዝግጅት አቅርቦቶች ለመግዛት የሚያስችል እስከ $1,000 የሚያክል ገንዘብ ለማግኘት ለሲያትል የትራንስፖርት ድጎማ ዲፓርትመንት ያመልክቱ።
- የስኬት ታሪኮች ያጋሩን እና በትምህርት ቤት እና በዲስትሪክት ጋዜጣዎች ላይ እናስተላልፋቸዋለን።
Why walk, bike, and roll? (i.e. wheelchair, scooter, skateboard, etc.)
- For our earth!
- Transportation is Seattle’s largest source of climate emissions. When we drive less, emissions go down in a big way.
- For your health!
- Students who walk and bike get exercise built into their daily routine.
- Studies show that students arrive at school more attentive and ready to learn
- Studies also show that students are happier
- For your school!
- School pick-up and drop-off can be hectic with lots of idling cars in the same space. Walking, biking, and rolling reduces that congestion around schools and makes the air cleaner to breathe.
- For fun!
- Walking, biking, and rolling on your own or with friends can connect neighbors to each other, and it’s just a fun way to be outside and part of the neighborhood.
- For freedom!
- “In addition to the physical exercise and fresh air, walking to school helps kids develop independence and take responsibility for getting themselves to and from school on time.” Learn more about the benefits and recommendations for when kids can walk to school alone.
How many students are walking, biking, and rolling to school?
About 1/3 of Seattle Public School students walk or bike to school most days! This data is based on three sources:
- The 2023 Travel Tally conducted in 54 Seattle elementary and K-8 schools in June.
- The 2021 Healthy Youth Survey of Seattle Public School 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders with approximately 6,500 total responses
- A 2019 citywide survey as part of the Seattle Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Racial Equity Analysis mailed to all households in Seattle with school-age children. It was also available online in nine languages with 2,465 total respondents
Resources for Students, Families, and Schools
Resources for students and families
Resources to support more students at your school
A Walking School Bus is a group of students walking to school with one or more adults, picking up students along the way. Visit this toolkit for tips on getting started (page 7) and get guidance from the Seattle Public Schools Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator: Brooke Nelson; brnelson1@ngskmc-eis.net.
A Bike Train is a group of students biking to school with one or more adults, picking up students along the way. Cascade Bicycle Club is happy to support Bike Trains with leader training, route planning, and more.
- Schools, PTA’s, and community groups can apply for up to $1,000 from the Seattle Department of Transportation to organize bike rodeos, buy winter coats, hold walk to school events and more to support walking and biking to school. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
You can work with your school principal to close a residential block outside your school to through traffic. This creates a welcoming environment for arriving to school by walking, biking, or rolling (school buses, district transportation, and people accessing their homes can still drive on the street).
Vision Zero yard signs that encourage safe driving are available for pick-up.
Transportation is one of the six environmental categories to get your school EarthGen Certified.
The School Traffic Safety Committee is a board that includes representatives of Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, King County Metro, and 5 volunteer positions filled by interested members of the public including parents, grandparents, and neighbors. The Committee can offer guidance on reducing barriers to walking and biking to school.
Seattle Public Schools is hiring school crossing guards.
Get fun, free incentives like stickers, bike lights, and reflectors to hand out at events like Walk to School Day in October and during Bike to School Month in May.
Seattle Public Schools Self Help program allows volunteers to implement their creative ideas that improve the school building or grounds (like a painted bike path guiding students through the parking lot or a walk-to-school-themed mural).
Submit a request to get a bike rack installed at your school.
Download a guide to starting a Safe Routes to School campaign at your school and get guidance from the Seattle Public Schools Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator.
Getting the Word Out to Your School
You know your school community best! But here are ideas to spread the word about your walking or biking activity.
Staff can log in to MySPS to access the following flyer templates:
- Walk to School Day (October)
- Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day (November)
- Love Your Route Valentines Walk/Bike/Bus to School Day (February)
- Earth Day (April)
- Bike to School Month (May)
More ideas for getting the word out:
- School leadership could put info in the school newsletter. They can also send text messages to families that are automatically translated into different languages through “Talking Points.” (limit 600 characters)
- Teachers can share with their classes. Physical Education teachers can be great people to ask!
- Schools or the district can email flyers to families through Peachjar.
- Does your school have a reader board out front? Your school admin can put a message about your activity up there.
- School leadership can share in the morning announcements.
- Teachers and students can share at a school assembly (contact Transportation for skit ideas).
- Students can make posters in a class or afterschool program and post around the school. If your school has a Green Team, they might want to be involved too.
- If there’s a student newspaper, it could include info and/or spotlights of students who walk and bike to school.
- School PTAs often have a Facebook page, webpage, and email lists to get the word out.
- Write a message in sidewalk chalk outside the school or along a walking/biking route.
- The Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Department of Transportation communications teams are happy to spotlight events and students in social media. Local media and neighborhood blogs are often willing to spotlight events too.
- And probably most effective is word of mouth!
Taking the bus or light rail to school
Everyone 18 and under is free on all transit in the region (bus light rail, ferry, etc.). An Orca card is encouraged but not required.
Download this app to know when your bus is coming (in real time): OneBusAway
Use King County Trip Planner (webpage and app) to plan your bus route. Google Maps can also help find the best option.
Metro Flex is available in a few regions of the County. You can use an app or call a number for a Metro Flex van to pick you up and drop you off anywhere in the region – including school!
Sample transit routes and tips: