Safe Bicycle Routes for Santa Monica Schools

To school without a car?

2011-06-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

Children come with wheels, it seems. First the small plastic wheels for the stroller, then the new family car, sometimes large enough to set up a family home on the road. And then there is the bicycle, the famous vehicle of childhood.

Today, many parents are concerned when their children want to ride their bike to school. Our streets seem hostile and dangerous. The cars are intimidating and seem intent to harm our children.

So when the question comes up if your kid could take the bike to school, the answer is often difficult. That is why a group of concerned parents in Santa Monica have come together to make it easier to get to school without a car. We have compiled some resources which can help make cycling a safe part of attending school in Santa Monica.

The good news is that most bike crashes can be avoided. A little bit of education can greatly increase your safety. Crashes are rare, but when they happen the cyclist has often acted in a manner which put him at a higher risk. An exaggerated anxiety about cycling in traffic can sometimes lead us to adopt unsafe and dangerous road behaviour. This is why education is crucial when you consider doing the school run with a bike.

So when the question about cycling to school comes up, the answer should be: Let's look at the route. Let's look at the rules, rights and responsibilities. Let's look at the advice from the experts, let's see when the next bike skills classes are scheduled. Perhaps they offer classes for parents on how to raise a competent cyclist. And: Let's see how we can make the streets around the school more welcoming for cyclists.

Many good things happen when people ride bikes. But in many families being a chauffeur has become the currency of parental love. The streets around our schools are crowded with cars because the parents enjoy those five minutes of quiet company, regardless of global warming, the price of gas, missing exercise, etc. So when the question of the bike comes up, make some space on the sofa, leave the car in the garage, and enjoy the company of your children without burning gas. Even better, find your own bike and become a cycling companion for your child.

For more information:
When People Ride Bikes, Great Things Happen.
Fourteen Ways to Drive your Bike in Traffic
Bike It Day
Sustainable Streets

Contact your PTSA to get involved with the local PTSA Transportation effort (Alison Kendall)

The Maps: Below are the links to maps which will assist parents and students to find the best route to school when not driving: Please remind everybody to ride slowly, circumspect, attentive, and never without a helmet!

Muir-SMASH
Grant
Franklin
Will Rogers
Roosevelt
McKinley
Lincoln
JAMS
SAMOHI

A Bridge Across the "Trench of Doom"

2011-04-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Every "Trench of Doom" (Jeff Tumlin) needs a solid bridge across it. Our own "Trench of Doom" is called Interstate 10. It contains a steady flow of fast moving, smelly vehicles which transport humans who should be walking and cycling, if their doctors and good sense could only get them out of their cars. We have some bridges across this dark stream of traffic, but most of them are not very inviting for pedestrians and cyclists, some of them (Lincoln, 4th Street) are downright dangerous and beastly.

SAMOHI students suffer from a lack of bicycle facilities. The school is right next to the interstate. Those who want to do the right thing and take the bike to school have fast and furious drivers on Lincoln to deal with. On top of it, our local police enforces the sidewalk riding ordinance against anyone seen on the sidewalks of Lincoln. Safe Routes to School, where are you?

There is a solution. It is called the 7th Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. This is a project which was included in the presentation by the planning department to the City Council on April 12, 2011. The staff report underlined the benefit of this bridge for SAMOHI, and its connectivity with Michigan Bike Boulevard to create a robust bike network. It would offer students a convenient path across the "Trench of Doom". Precisely what is needed in order to entice more people to leave the car at home!

In comes our representative of traditional car culture, and historian of local traffic. He is called Robert Holbrook, a member of the City Council since 1990, master of common sense and sometimes defender of the car culture of the 1960ies. Here is his 2010 election advert, depicting a freeway sign referring to our very own "Trench of Doom"

Election Advert, Nov 2010

These are the issues Holbrook raised during the Council meeting (Item 4-B, time counter at 3:09):

Let me ask you some questions. We had a 7th Street Bridge. It was a pedestrian and bike bridge and I think it also carried important utilities across the freeway and it was removed, - I think - because no-one used it. It had to be maintained and eventually they took it out. So I am sitting here thinking: if we had it, and they did not come, why would we build it - again, - ...

Indeed, why would you re-build a bridge that was of no use? Luckily, Mr Holbrook's recollection is not quite correct. The Bike and Pedestrian Bridge (Caltrans # 53-1593) was removed in 1991, not in order to save the maintenance costs of an under-utilized structure, but in order to create a new, eastbound 4th Street Exit Ramp for cars who use the "Trench of Doom". The Los Angeles Times from September 13, 1992 lays it out nicely, even though it does not tell the whole story how pedestrian and bicycle interests have lost out against the car drivers who would not be satisfied with Pico access to school.

What is most obvious sometimes becomes invisible. Call it the White Elephant phenomenon. Cars seem to be the most natural thing in the world for some, and questions about alternatives to cars are mentally uncomfortable and hard. Let us listen some more to the politician who carries interstate signage on his election advert:

Have kids changed? Because, when I was young, well, it's a long time ago, but I, but at some point they want to get off bikes and drive, or drive to school if they could, ride to school with a car. How many kinds ride their bikes to school today ?

Yes, the kids have changed. They have started to understand that the car is not always a good idea, and sometimes a very bad idea. The kids have seen the "Trench of Doom" and they have embraced the environmental benefits of cycling. SAMOHI Solar Alliance has organised a series of very successful bike and walk to school events, which seek to question the old notion that at some point they want to get off bikes and drive. The last, district-wide Bike-It Day in October 2010 was a celebration of independence from cars, where kids, partent and staff participated enthusiastically. Today, bikes are no longer for kids only, bikes are part of the active, healthy, community oriented, environmentally conscious life-style which the modern Santa Monica represents.

But let us go back to the new offramp for cars, for which the pedestrian and bike bridge was sacrificed. Every Interstate needs an off-ramp you may say. Next time you roll on the I-10, just count those on- and off-ramps, and ask yourself why they are so many and so close to each other in Santa Monica, when in Los Angeles they are three or four miles apart. Twenty years ago, when then decision for the new off-ramp was made, the car was king and children got their drivers license in kindergarden. Today the car is no longer king, and the time may come when we think about sacrificing some of those ramps to the "Trench of Doom" in order to achieve a "Path of Happiness" for our cyclists.

The moral? Bob Holbrook is our longest serving man on the city council. He is formerly a member of the Board of Education (1983 -1990), a recipient of the High School Distinguished Alumnus Award for Community Service, a pharmacist by profession for whom the health benefits of active transportation must be evident, and surely a supporter of Safe Routes to School. Bob is not the only dedicated follower of California Car Culture in our city. But on reflection they will see the need for a robust bicycle network which can entice more and more citizens to leave the car at home for those shorter trips. We have built the interstate network to entice people into cars, now we need to build the bike network to allow them to make the short trips without a car.

Tebb Kusserow, former SAMOHI coach and supporter of Holbrook's election campaign, rode his bicycle four times up Mount Haleakala, and is rumored to have taught bicycle skills to his students at SAMOHI. Perhaps he is the one who could to teach Bob Holbrook a lesson about Safe Routes to School. Because who would want to be mistaken for a car salesman?

Recipe for a Bike Club

2011-02-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

Children participating in a bicycle safety program run by the police in New York, 1945

Bicycle Education comes in many shapes and colors: Above a glimpse of a program offered more than 60 years ago in New York. Today we may do things differently: We signal a left turn with the left hand, and we know that when we put a few cyclists in a room together, they will soon find plenty to talk about. A school based bike club is a great opportunity for our young cyclists to learn from the mistakes and misfortunes of their peers, to become knowledgeable about their bike, and to better understand how to communicate with car drivers in traffic.
So what would be the ingredients for a student run bike club at middle school level?
A pair of presidents, a webmaster, an event planner, an education committee, a membership director, a Safe Routes to School coordinator, a Bike Community Liaison officer, a Spoke Card designer, and a photographer, the flat tire expert and the ball bearing expert, the quick release master and the gender equality officer. And more. (The League of American Bicyclists has a many resources here http://www.bikeleague.org/action/creategroup/ )

The search has begun for a good name for a bike club at Santa Monica Alternative School. Will you help us find a smashing name? What responsibility do you want to take? In which area do you want to lead?

Bicycle Master Plan in Santa Monica: Take the Survey

2011-01-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

City planning has started work on a new Bicycle Master Plan. It will set priorities for bicycle facilities on the basis of public input. The plan, once adopted by the council, allows the city to apply for funding for bicycle related improvements.

Many think that Santa Monica could become a bicycle perfect community: Take a community keenly interested in sustainability, a council which wants to do the right thing for the environment, and add sunshine most of the year: Really great things can come of this. The Bicycle Friendly Community Award (Bronze) from the League of American Bicyclists is proudly displayed in City Hall. Santa Monica Spoke emphasizes the community benefits of cycling, and there is talk about a bicycle commission for the city council. We are here in the Prius capital of the world: Every gas saving vehicle encountered on our streets bears testimony to a mild sense of guilt many motorists feel.

If you want to give the city the benefit of your comments, please take the survey. As part of the school community we are convinced of the value of education, but it may be important to remind the planning department that this is not only about bike lanes and bike paths, but about a change in transportation culture which needs lots of education and encouragement in order to initiate a process of change. Because we can no longer view the car as the default transportation mode.

I used to be one of those people who hugged the right curb...

2010-10-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

The District PTSA offered a very successful bike education and encouragement event on 2 October. Sustainable Streets presented a Bike Safety Skills Workshop to a packed classroom of about 35 SMMUSD middle and high school students and their parents, with an age range of 9 to 40 years old. The group included lots of kids who have been cycling with their parents in preparation for Bike It! Day October 13. Everyone had great questions on the rules of the road, hair raising bike crash stories, and lots of enthusiasm for cycling to school. After adjusting helmets and checking bikes, the group headed outside to practice key safe cycling skills to scan, signal, stop and turn left at an intersection.

Among the kids’ enthusiastic comments on the class evaluation form were “Awesome fun!” and “I loved this class!” Parents were equally positive, saying “This is so valuable. I used to be one of those people who hugged the right curb; now I know why that’s not a good idea.” This was the second two Bike Safety Skills Workshops, the precious one was held at Lincoln Middle Schools, taught by League Certified Instructors from Sustainable Streets. Some of the participants raised the idea of setting up a bike club at the school, which would offer more opportunities for advanced training. The complete course (10 hrs) of confident city cycling is usually taught over two weekends and includes an official certificate.

Many thanks to the PTSA, JAMS and Lincoln Middle school staff, and the students and their parents for supporting this workshop to promote safe cycling by our students! Hope to see you all at Bike IT Walk IT Day on October 13. We are expecting record participation by every SMMUSD elementary and middle school in Santa Monica and by SAMOHI, whose Solar Alliance Student Group started the Bike IT movement four years ago.

Bike Skills Workshop

2010-09-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday 6 October 2010 Santa Monica will wake up to the first city-wide Bike It Day. In previous years each school had its own bike and walk to school day, - but because of the success and popular demand, the event is now conducted city wide, and other local institutions, employers, schools and colleges are encouraged to join in and leave the car at home.

In preparation for the event the district PTSA is sponsoring two bicycle workshops on Saturday 26 September and 2 November. These workshops are conducted by Sustainable Streets and aimed mainly for an adult audience. Parents are encouraged to bring their children (age 10 -15) and teachers and school staff are especially welcome.

You want to bike more and become a more confident cyclists. You want to help your children to cycle more safely. Join us for a free Bike Skills Workshop for parents, teachers and students in Santa Monica SMMUSD. Free workshops will be held on Saturday, Sep 25 at 1 pm at Lincoln Middle School and again on Saturday, Oct 2 at1 pm at John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica. Please bring bike and helmet. Snacks and bike pins will be provided. To register for the workshop please email michael.cahn@sustainablestreetsla.org

The invitation is here and here (smaller format)

Bikes on Display

2010-06-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

John Adams Middle School rides, and some of the bikes bikes are being hung up on the fence on display for the day. Well done everybody! You doubled the number of cyclists for the day. We also sold a few bike helmets, and gave away those ever popular bike pins ("Can I have a green one", "Can I have a pink one"), those bright green "Bike It" stickers, and of course the ever popular Clif bars (Peanut).
Now we are planning an experimental session to compare the effectiveness of hair gel and normal bike helmets. Just to

Free Middle School Cycling Class at JAMS June 7

2010-06-07T01:38:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this free cycling class at John Adams Middle School, , just in time for Bike to School Day at JAMS on June 10. Meet outside Room 83 at 3:15, with bike and helmet. Helmets will be available for sale for $10--remember, they are required by CA law for cyclists under age 18. Be ready for Bike to School Day on Thursday. Learn great tips for urban cycling, and hear about bike accidents and how to avoid them. Taught by Michael Cahn and Ron Durgin of Sustainable Streets, both Licensed Cycling Instructors with the League of American Bicyclists and experienced youth cycling instructors. For more info, email velocipedus@gmail.com.

The Bicycle Revolution at Ocean Park

2010-06-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

This document has come to our attention in June 2010. It dates back to 2008 (?) and is certainly worth some attention. It should be noted that back then the proposal did not receive an answer. But the times they are a'changin.

Katherine Iglis

Attn: Julie Eizenberg, Architect
Re: Sustainability Proposal for John Adams

GOALS: To implement a sustainability program at John Adams in accordance with the BB requirement, to alleviate the school's traffic and parking problems, to improve the school’s effectiveness, to invigorate and unify the school community.

PROPOSAL: Transform John Adams into a Cycling-Centric School by altering the campus as necessary and developing a PRO-CYCLING curriculum. Provide the necessary infrastructure, incentives and equipment (loaner bikes and safety equipment if necessary) to get students, staff and parents to embrace cycling as an integral part of daily life.

A NATURAL FIT: John Adams’ central location, benign climate and flat terrain make it an ideal cycling destination. Likewise, the age of its students provides an ideal opportunity. Pre-teens and teens are able to ride responsibly and crave the freedom and independence that cycling provides. Forming cycling habits now can benefit them for years to come – steering them (and their parents!) away from dependence on the automobile.

HOW TO: Make use of and expand upon the recently installed bike lanes along Ocean Park Blvd. Develop our own “Safe Paths to School” program where certain routes are designated with appropriate signs and traffic controls making them safe for cyclists. Establish a secure and accessible “Bike Zone” on campus. Possibly even convert 16th St. between Ocean Park Blvd. and Pearl St. to a Bikes-Only Zone feeding John Adams as well as Will Rogers Elementary and Santa Monica College. Basically, establish JAMS as a neighborhood cycling hub.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS: Increased cycling would reduce traffic, emissions, fuel consumption, parking problems and pedestrian danger. Rather than battling the City for more street parking or consuming more of the campus with asphalt, existing parking lots could be converted back into usable green space. The City, local businesses, and local environmental groups could help support the program by providing sponsorship, grants and other incentives.

FITNESS BENEFITS: Cycling improves cardiovascular health, strength and endurance while boosting endomorphins, staving off depression and controlling weight gain. Students would arrive at school more alert and ready to learn after a brisk ride. Adults who cycle would also benefit while providing the students with positive role models. Electric, motor-assisted bikes or scooters could be provided for handicapped or elderly members of the school community. Lastly, since John Adams already has a system of two sets of books, heavy backpacks would not impede the student riders.

ACADEMIC BENEFITS: Cycling could be incorporated into the curriculum with lessons on aerodynamics, hydraulics, bike engineering, bike mechanics and design. This could be further reinforced with cycling day trips, field trips and retreats. A cycling coach could be employed and a cycling team started. Bike “shop” could be offered as an elective giving students hands-on experience fixing, maintaining and assembling bikes.

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS: Cycling develops independence and self-esteem among young teens when they need it most. Rather than depending on their parents or the public bus for transportation, middle school students would feel empowered and exhilarated navigating their way around town on a bike.

SOCIAL BENEFITS: Cycling is fun and promotes camaraderie. Sponsor school cycling clubs such as a Mountain Biking Club, a Road Biking Club, a Beach Cruiser Club, a Trick-bike Club, a Bike Maintenance Club and host a bike design competition. Participation in these clubs could be rewarded with Academic, PE, or community service credit.

NEIGHBORHOOD BENEFITS: Bike routes used by students could also be used by others in the neighborhood. The school bike repair “Shop” could also be open to the local community. Students could operate the shop, gain work experience and/or community service hours all while benefiting the community and possibly raising money for the program.

INSPIRATIONAL WEBSITES:
Celebrating Cycling
Fun Fast Fit
Community Cycling Center

Lincoln Confident Cycling Class Wed June 2nd

2010-05-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

Get set for Lincoln's Bike to School Day on June 8 at a free and fun after school class where you'll practice quick stops and turns, learn how to ride safely on city streets, and get tips on bike and helmet fit and picking safe routes to school.

Confident Cycling meets June 2nd at 3:15 at the Lincoln bike racks near the basketball courts off California Ave. To enroll, contact Michael Cahn, LCI at velocipedus@gmail.com. Bring your bike and helmet!

Bike To School Days in Santa Monica

2010-05-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

It is June, and Santa Monica is cycling again. The diary for the current bike to school events features:

Monday 7 June: Bike It Day at SAMOHI, organized by Samohi Solar Alliance, Confident Cycling Education scheduled for 1 and 3 June after school

Tuesday 8 June: Lincoln Middle School, Confident Cycling Education scheduled for Wednesday 2 June after school, meet at bike racks, snacks will be provided

Thursday 10 June: John Adams Middle School, Confident Cycling Education scheduled for Monday 7 June after school, room 83, snacks will be provided

Friday 11 June 10:00 am - 12:00 noon, SMASH Middle School, Confident Cycling Education event.

Bicycle education will be offered by League Certified Bicycle instructors. If you want to assist at any of these events or have questions, please contact velocipedus@gmail.com. Parents are most welcome to attend all these events.

Johnny Depp to offer City Cycling Class

2010-03-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

Bike It Day is on 10 March 2010. To make everybody safe on the road, Johnny Depp (really?) should be offering a free City Cycling Class at SAMOHI: Monday 8 March 2010 after school, at 3:30, room T 109, and again on Tuesday, same time and same location. Please bring your bike and a friend.

The class (1 hr) will highlight the most important ways to stay safe on your bike. City Cycling Science can help everybody to deal with traffic, and how to avoid these painful crashes or aggressive encounters, often really intimidating. Johnny Depp knows you can pedal your bike, now it's time to go on to the second level.

The room is in the Technology Building, next to the North parking lot, accessible from the alley which runs between Michigan and Olympic. If you have problems finding the room, and have any other questions, please call 310 752 3177

Safe Routes to School according to the Santa Monica Police Department

2010-02-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

Santa Monica High School, 17 February 2010, 3:20 pm

After school students find the police in front of the Michigan Gate, right next to the bike parking. It is Wednesday, school started late, a good day to go by bike and not use the car. In the course of the police operation against cyclists three tickets are being issued to student cyclists for not wearing helmets. Is that a way to encourage kids to ride the bike?

Students riding the bike to school do the right thing. They support the environment. They reduce traffic congestion. They improve their health through active transportation. They reduce the carbon footprint. They live in a Bicycle Friendly Community (Bronze). Students under 18 who do not wear a helmet break the law.

Those who use a car to drive or be driven to school increase pollution, traffic, obesity. If they use a hand-held phone while driving they break the law.

If you want to support your young cyclists in a bicycle friendly city you reach out to them. With information. With warnings. By applying for grants to offer free helmets to the kids who cannot afford one. Or by rewarding those who wear a helmet. You go out and partner with the school, with student groups, with the PTSA and offer bike safety classes. Stay tuned. Continue the conversation that the local bicycle advocacy group has started with the police in May 2009. This is work and it takes time. Ticketing a few kids is easy. But it does not bring you respect. It brings contempt. In the process the police loses community which is the worst thing that can happen to a police force. If you speak to a child who knows about the environmental impact of fossil fuels, it may be a good idea to turn off the motor of your vehicle. Kids take note of these things. In this process kids have to learn the law, and the police has an equal responsibility to learn how to deal with kids and cyclists.

Indeed, on the basis of a sustained educational effort, especially if it is embedded in a diversion program, which removed the fine when the student attends a safe cycling class, a ticket does have its value. But probably not every officer is suited to this delicate work with children. Some forget to take off their dark reflective sunglasses when talking to a child. Some have never received special training for dealing with adolescents and children, and are more suited to work with hardened criminals. Some have never ridden a bike on city streets, and confuse the public by cycling on the extended sidewalk which is Third Street Promenade. Why not ride your bike while interacting with students? Would it not be a good idea to coordinate with the school or the school district in order to develop a comprehensive educational program for young cyclists? To support them and to make them safe? And to acknowledge that the helmet by itself does not make you safe, that only safe cycling education offers you the tools to stay safe on city streets. Without a sustained educational program, ticketing works as bicycle discouragement. If DUI checkpoints are being announced in advance, why not announce a helmet checkpoint?

Speaking about helmets is only half the story at this school. This school is located close to Lincoln Boulevard, and many students will have to use or cross Lincoln Blvd to get to school. This being Santa Monica, the police may well give you another ticket if they see you cycling on the sidewalk on Lincoln. It sounds unbelievable, but I have seen it happen more than once. More bicycle discouragement from the SMPD? Sure, in this city it it is not legal to cycle on the sidewalk, and for many well documented reasons, the sidewalk is an unsafe place for cyclists, but Lincoln is a really horrible street, for children and adults, to share with cars. This community deserves better solutions than tickets.

So if you are a cyclist, or a parent, or a student, and you think the SMPD does not do enough to encourage cycling in this Bicycle Friendly Community (Bronze), or if you want to support the police action, please leave your comments below, and come to the next City Council Meeting on February 23, and offer you opinion during the public comment period.

Police deputy chief Sanchez is so kind to meet concerned cyclists on Wednesday 24th Feb, 2010 at 3:30. Please let me know if you want to attend so that we can prepare the meeting. We are specially interested to strengthen our "legal department", and concerned citizens with expertise in civil liberties and equity issues are encouraged to get in touch with velocipedus at gmail dot com. We also warmly welcome highschool and middle school students to get in touch.

Beauty and the Bike

2009-12-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

This is a girl project between Darlington (UK) and Bremen (Germany) - it set about getting girls on bikes. There is a book, a documentary (DVD), and the short preview below, with a great deal of serious beauty. The girls move from skepticism about cycling to exhilaration about how "liberating" it is. Look out for a fleet of those red bikes riding onto the stage of he? what? Barnum Hall ? ?

This is a project that meets girls on their own terms, and that doesn't minimize or denigrate the importance of peer pressure.

For teenagers the question of their image is crucial. And if cycling is seen as mad or eccentric, it is unlikely to appear attractive. Statistics show that the already low percentage of British girls who have cycled regularly as a child, stop doing so when they reach puberty.

Thanks to StreetsblogLA for sharing this.

This is a Dare

2009-10-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, you know EVERYTHING. You know how to ride your bike. Now tell us how you do it. This is a dare. Thursday 15 October, 15:30, T 109.

I will listen to your bicycle wisdom, and you will listen to mine. And then we count the points, and if you are a safe cyclist, then I will give you a bicycle.

PTSA Transportation has received a 5 used bicycles, great little riders, mostly of the mountain bike variety. A free bike for the first five students who can teach us how to stay safe on the road, and who can show that they master the art of safe cycling.

Show us what you can. This is a dare. Pictures of the bikes on bike-it-day.org. You know Everything. Now come and get your bike. Everyone welcome

Learn How to Ride Safely in Traffic (Includes Free Bike Pins)

2009-10-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Cycling is hard. Muscles ache. But worse still is the lack of respect many drivers have for cyclists. They just do not see you, they overtake dangerously. Cars turn without looking, doors fly open, all this intimidates and frightens. But are cyclists really powerless?
Safe Cycling is a 2-hour course is offered again to all Students by SAMOHI Solar Alliance / SAMOHI Bike Coalition on Thursday, 8 October at 3:30 pm. After a short classroom introduction with an original eyewitness account on what to do when a car brings you down, we will work on those essential bike handling skills and maneuvers. Students will learn the tricks which keep you safe on the road: how to effectively control the traffic around you by changing your position in the lane. Eye contact. Show teeth. All is revealed. You already know how to ride a bike, now learn to cycle proud, and learn how fear can put you into real danger on the road.

We meet at T 109. Please bring your bike and helmet to the classroom. Snacks will be provided. Free Bike Pins!

This week we offer the class free of charge. To register, please send an email to velocipedus@gmail.com. Waiver form not required, because we will not leave the campus

Dear Parents!

We are offering a safe cycling course at SAMOHI on Thursday, September 17th. The course is taught in accordance with the curriculum of the League of American Cyclists and introduces your son/daughter to the principles of vehicular cycling: Visible, Predictable, Assertive, Alert. We encourage the students to explore alternatives to motorized traffic, and find a safe place on the road. The ususal cost of the class is 12$ for two students, it is being waived for the 8 Oct event.

Please email us (velocipedus@gmail.com) if you want more information about this work or if you want to support us

Walk to School Day

2009-10-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

In case today is October 7, then today is Walk to School Day. I too want to go there, perambulating, strolling, marching, capering and hopping, I want to wander, amble, skip, yeah, skip to school, and I want to do it all over the world. I want to walk backwards, sideways like a dachshund, jog, and run. I want to imitate the gait of the other person, now that is difficult, I want to go upright, straight, "yes sir!", and "I am sorry." Well, then.

Power Cycling is doing it again !

2009-09-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand, we are offering our Power Cycling class again. The class takes place Thursday, 24 Sep 2009, Thursday, 1 Oct, after school, 3:30, room T109. Snacks will be provided. For details see the previous posting! Print Out the announcement

Power Cycling: How to ride your bike safely in traffic

2009-09-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

Cycling is hard. Muscles ache. But worse still is the lack of respect many drivers have for cyclists. They just do not see you, they overtake dangerously. Cars turn without looking, doors fly open, all this intimidates and frightens. But are cyclists really powerless?
Power Cycling is a 3-hour course offered to all Students by SAMOHI Solar Alliance / SAMOHI Bike Coalition on Thursday, 17 September, at 3:30 pm. After a short classroom introduction we will work on those bike handling skills and essential maneuvers. Students will learn the tricks which keep you safe on the road: how to effectively control the traffic around you by changing your own behavior in traffic. You already know how to ride a bike, now learn to cycle proud, and learn how fear can put you into real danger on the road.

We meet at T 109. Please bring your bike and helmet to the classroom. Snacks will be provided. Free Bike Pins!

Bring a friend. The cost of this course is $12 for two cyclists if you register together. Single signups $ 8, financial assistance available.
To register, send an email to velocipedus@gmail.com, including names and email addresses of you and your friend. The waiver form is here, it must be signed by the parents of each participant. The fee is due at the day of the class. Those not in possession of a helmet (it’s the law!) can buy one before the course starts (10$)

Dear Parents!

We are offering a safe cycling course at SAMOHI on Thursday, September 17th. The course is taught in accordance with the curriculum of the League of American Cyclists and introduces your son/daughter to the principles of vehicular cycling: Visible, Predictable, Assertive, Alert. We encourage the students to explore alternatives to motorized traffic, and find a safe place on the road. The cost of the class is 12$ for two students. Please sign the waiver and make sure your son/daughter brings it to school on that day, together with a helmet.

Please email us (velocipedus@gmail.com) if you want more information about this work or if you want to support us

Dr Michael Cahn
PTSA Transportation Chair

Measure BB Science And Technology Building

2009-06-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

23 June: Public Scoping Meeting

Project Manager Shannon Daniels is our guide: Go to http://www.smmusd.org/measureBB/index.html Then at the top of that web page you will see a tab that says “Campus Improvement.” Put your mouse arrow over “Campus Improvement” and you should see a drop down menu. On the drop down menu, put your mouse arrow over “Santa Monica High School.” Then you will see another drop down menu, put your mouse arrow over “Individual Initial Study” and then “Initial Study.”

The direct way for the initial study is here, and the wisely separated title page here

Here are some points to raise
1) Insufficient Outreach, low numbers attending, badly scheduled after school is out, cannot find study file with the link provided
2) Include bike workshop with auto workshop.
3) TDM programs to reduce car trips to include students and staff.
4) Make sure that the present project does not impact on the planned 7th Street pedestrian bridge
5) 7th Court Alley is an inappropriate space for high volumes of traffic, serious conficts with pedestrians on Michigan, sightlines,
6) accomodate bicycle traffic at drop off and pick up times on Michigan in a safe manner, which enhances the role of Michigan Ave as Bike Access and Bike Boulevard through the site
7) Need about 300 safe bike parking spaces (CHPS standards)
8) Cut out for drop-off on Olympic would cut into pedestrian area and decrease efficiency of existing drop off along Olympic. May need to relocate further west to avoid danger of east bound cars traveling at high speed exiting I-10 onto Lincoln
9) Baseline traffic counts in the area should include non-motorised transportation, including skating, boards, etc, as they are quite prevalent around the school, and pose their unique challenges
10) Baseline air quality measurements from I-10 traffic
11) Consider to narrow East Bound Olympic traffic lanes and widen pedestrian areas to create less of a speed inducing environment. Olympic should receive the same treatment the street has already received West of 4th Street

If you did not hear about the meeting in advance and want to make your own comments, please send them by email to measurebb@smmusd.org by Thursday 9 July 2009

Bike / Walk to School Days Eliminate 1200 Car Trips

2009-06-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

April 2nd, 2009: School District SMMUSD approves a comprehensive resolution supportive of cycling for pupils and staff.

May 2009: SAMOHI students (Solar Alliance), members of LACBC and Santa Monica Spoke convene to organize Bike/Walk to school events in the district (One high school and two middle schools). We invite students to become campus bicycle ambassadors, beginning with a short course on bike safety taught by League of American Bicyclists certified Cycling Instructors.
Interaction with police, administrators and teachers, the city provides valet bike parking and conducts traffic counts on the approaches. A bike safety curriculum for the classroom is made available for home-room use. Students invited to become bike safety ambassadors.

June 10/12: Bike/Walk to school events with approximately 1200 students choosing non-motorized mode. One school sees more than six-fold increase in number of bicycles (15 to 92)

June 16: District PTSA approves budget for bicycle safety programs of more than 3000$. This will allow the program to expand to other schools in the district and start their own local program.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of high school students who wanted to bring the bike to the younger ranks, thanks to the work over the past four years by Alison Kendall, an urban planning consultant and Santa Monica High PTSA Transportation Committee Chair, and much good will brought our way, we find us now mid-way into a scholastic bicycle revolution in Santa Monica. Next term we shall have the advantage of starting early in the year with an established program to build on, more word of mouth, and more classroom support by teachers, including an interdisciplinary bike curriculum. We shall advertise the Safe Cycling Class to parents at PTA meetings early in the term, we want to work with the police to establish a helmet ticket diversion program, and we have invited the principal to “The Principal’s Bike Ride.” We shall assist teachers to find bike related activities for Community Service element and establish closer contact with PE teachers. Then comes the expansion and improvement of current bike parking facilities. Yes, there is plenty of room for interested parents and teachers to work with us. Why not set up a bicycle user group of teachers in the district?

Now join us to continue our work with an approved budget in the background: Some call it modal shift, we call it fun. And lets get rid of those helmets on the handlebar and put them where they belong: On the head!

The Numbers:
Lincoln Middle School (1190 students), 357 participants (206 walkers, 92 bikers, school bus 2, transit 14, skateboard 43) Helmet use among cyclists more than 75 %.

John Adams Middle School (990 students), 415 participants (311 walkers, 71 bikers, 24 bus riders, and 9 arriving by skateboard or scooter) 75% of cyclists arriving on campus wearing helmets.

SAMOHI (3200 students), 442 participants (166 bikers, 130 walkers, 111 transit, 35 skateboard) (some gates not counted)

Statistical data for one school regarding modal choices in each class is available

John Adams Walking Biking

2009-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Great success at John Adams Middle school for Bike/Walk to school day on 12 June 2009: Of 990 students over 415 students participated: 311 walkers, 71 bikers, 24 bus riders, and 9 arriving by skateboard or scooter. This is the highest percentage in the district! A survey of some cyclists arriving on campus showed 35 out of 46 cyclists (over 75%) were wearing helmets. We already have a great report on the web: but here are a few more pictures:

This is our crew of helpers after the successful distribution of Popsicles!

Almost half of the students arriving without a car, that is really a great. But who is going to sit down and calculate all the good we have done the environment, the health, and the community, by driving less, by walking and cycling more. Perhaps there is a Science Magnet somewhere at JAMS? I think I saw one on the lawn.

Diane Toppel laughing her bike in a safe distance from car doors. Remember, these doors have a nasty habit of opening any time. So stay away from them!

Of course here are many ways to ride your bike, and even some cars like to ride a bike. They just put it up on the roof, and bingo, even a car can cycle.

Lincoln Rolls 135 Strong

2009-06-10T22:04:00.001-07:00

Bike/Walk to School Day. The bike enclosure usually houses a dozen bikes, today we have seen ten times as many. A tandem was found in a friend's garage, bikes of all sizes and colors, and plenty of helmets too. 92 bikes in our large rack on the front lawn, plus 42 on those fabulous skateboards, longboards, scooters, not counting Mr Johnstone's bike, nor Susanne Webb's bike or any of the other cycling teachers (how many?)

Our walkers, putting the trusted feet to work, they came from all directions, with books to return, with musical instruments, 190 of them, happily saving gas and the environment. They came on their skateboards and on the scooter, and the Security officer confirmed, "a marked reduction in the usual car traffic, I can confirm this indeed". We counted 190 walkers, another 32 taking the bus, that is a third of the school not driving, wow, this is a real big deal. Kids, you are making us proud, and you make the gasoline companies poor, you make your parents rich, and the environment happy. Yeahhhh!
And what went wrong? Well, some parents think that driving your child in the car is the best way to show your love and affection to your offspring. Chauffeur = Good Parent. Some children may think so too, but none of those interviewed confirmed this car-love-complex. However, Harrison wanted some streets closed, and thought Walk/Bike to school could run for a whole week. One week of walking and cycling: Now we are talking - Lets calculate the gas savings right away. And next time, lets get text book return out of the way, or re-design the textbooks so that they can be carried on the bike.

Bike Safety Workshop

2009-06-03T21:32:00.001-07:00

Do you want to be a Bicycle Safety Instructor? Here is where it starts: Monday 8 June, Bike Safety Workshop at John Adams Middle School. All middle school grades are welcome. Curriculum by the League of American Cyclists: The aim is not only to become a better cyclist, but also to get you started on the way towards becoming a League Certified Instructor (LCI).
Start at 3:15, paticipants from Lincoln may arrive a bit later. Bring bike, helmet and signed waiver. The whole thing will take about 2 hours. If you want to get a head-start, more details about the curriculum are here

Bike to School Days Confirmed

2009-05-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

JOHN ADAMS:
Monday June 1 at John Adams for JAMS Walk/Bike Day organizers and SSA, 3:15-5:15 in Room 31.
Monday June 8, 3:15 to 5:15 at JAMS, close to the Cafeteria, Safe Cycling Workshop includes helmet use, bike handling skills, safe cycling and route selection (may give credit towards PE grades). Bring parent signed waiver, helmet and bike--for more info, contact Michael Cahn, LCI at velocipedus@gmail.com

Fri June 12 BikeWalk Day at JAMS

LINCOLN:
Tuesday, June 2 at Lincoln for Lincoln Walk/Bike Day organizers and SSA 3:15-5:15 in Room 312 (near California Ave parking lot)
Monday June 8, Bike/Walk Day videos and announcements during Advisory period
Monday June 8, 3:15-5:15 in JAMS, close to the Cafeteria, Safe Cycling Workshop includes helmet use, bike handling skills, safe cycling and route selection (may give credit towards PE grades). Bring parent signed waiver, helmet and bike--for more info, contact Michael Cahn, LCI at velocipedus@gmail.com

Wed June 10, Bike/Walk Day at Lincoln and at Samohi

Great stuff, SAMOHI Solar Alliance, now get your bikes ready, kids!

Pupils do Traffic Police Duty (Hamburg)

2009-05-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

Watch the Kids on the Road
"Why do you drive so fast in front of our school" by Ulla Reinhard

8. Mai 2009 (Hamburger Abendblatt) (permission applied for)

Pupils accompany traffic police during speed controls and talk to drivers about their infractions. "They are very embrassed when they are being caught" says Greta (9).

Pupils Bruno and Mahdi (both 10 years old) ask Heiko Schöwig (29), why he clocked 54 when the speed limit was 30 kmh (=approx 20 mph)
Foto Copyright: Juergen Joost

792 children were hurt in traffic accidents in Hamburg last year, 95 suffered severe injuries. 697 were hurt lightly. The number of injured kids has been going down since 2002, when the total was 1109. Nevertheless, the police is conducting more frequent controls in front of schools and kindergardens. One of their prime goals is to reduce accidents numbers for children. Each kid which is hurt is one kid too many says police chief Werner Janotsch at the start of the enforcment event entitled “Look out for kids – home again.” The event will take place in the vicinity of Hamburg schools during the next few weeks.
Thursday 11.00am : Greta Priebe (9) and her friends are not attending class. The wait on the sidewalk in front their elementary school on Richardstreet in Eilbek. Today there are more important things than lessons. Fourth grade students are
teachers today - traffic safety teachers to be precise. They educate the car drivers who exceed the speed limit in front of their school.
“This is really exciting” says Greta. “Many drivers are really embarassed when we speak to them.” The pupils have received a questionaire from the police. Going through the questions they discuss the speeding offence with the driver.
“Can you explain why you exceeded the speed limit?” asks Greta the building contractor Bernd Reiher. He was clocked with 44 kmh where only 30 are allowed. “In my thoughts I was already at my next appointment. I just did not see the sign” says the 64 year old. “In their thoughts, that what they all say,” Greta wisecracks. Next question: “Could you have come to a stop if a kid suddenly ran onto the street?” The contractor hesitates: Then he says: “I am not sure”. He is one of the few drivers who show this hesitation. Most think they would be able to stop in time. But driving instructor Michael Körner (46) adds: “This is what everybody learns when they get their license: Braking distance = half the speed on the dial.” No, the car would not have been able to stop in time.

Traffic Police has conducted 458 speed control events in front of schools, kindergardens, playgrounds. Results: 3822 tickets for speeding, plus an additional 611 tickets where children were not wearing seat-belts or defective child seats. While the number of accidents went down, those with children actually went up by 3,7 %.

Yesterday the students from Richardstrasse Elementary spoke to 10 drivers. Almost all of them were remorseful, and applauded the effort. “Man, I can tell you, when a kid is asking you these questions, it really gets you” says Heiko Schöwing (29). “You are bound to think about it differently.” The student clocked 54 kmh and was the “winner” of the day.

Until the end of May another 700 events are scheduled in front of Hamburg schools. Today the police is covering the areas of Schnelsen, Barmbek-Nord and Neugraben-Fischbek.

(translation Michael Cahn)

Parent Survey (Walking & Biking)

2009-05-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

This is a survey for parents of Santa Monica Middle Schools. Please take a few minutes and give us your feedback! Please remember to print out and sign this waiver form for you child to be able to participate at the safe cycling training offered after school.
If you are a Student or Teacher, please click here for your version.

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Safe Cycling Skills @ LMS

2009-05-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

Bike Safety Education for bike to school day consists of two elements:

Classroom Element: 8 minutes NHTSA video on Helmet use (Perhaps short introduction making use of Children Are Not Small Adults NHTSA)

Safe Cycling Skills Lesson:
2 hrs, after school, with Michael Cahn & Ron Durgin & Edward Navarro (& PE teacher?) in attendance, with Rachel, Branda, Harrison, & Max in charge
Some statistical info on age group & typical accident situations & sidewalk cycling (3 minutes MC/RD)
-helmet fitting
-bike check-up
-cycle in line
-door zone cycling
-in wavy line
-with one hand signalling
-scanning behind
-scanning behind and recognizing numbers
-turtle race (slowest wins)

Q A Date for the after school course to be offered has not been set, there was talk about 20 May, there may also be an opportunity to offer this course a second time at JAMS

CONFIRMED We have scheduled a Training Event for Saturday 16 May @ 9am at Lincoln where MC & RD will be available to go through the curriculum and prepare Rachel, Brenda, Harrison & Max (more are welcome) to be the leaders of this exercise. MEET AT MAIN GATE

June 10 is Bike to School day

2009-05-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June tenth 2009 is Bike to School day in the District. Focus will be mostly on the two middle schools, Lincoln and John Adams, and of course SAMOHI. We are also trying to involve and support cyclists from the elementary schools. Any ideas? A circumnavigation of your school by foot and bike with a small group of cyclists, and a bit of publicity with the help of the principal? A few cameras, a few notices to the parents, there are plenty of kids who want to get out of the car, and we will try to help them.

I cann't come to the meeting but I would really like you to keep me informed

2009-04-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

If you cannot come to the meeting, or want to get in touch with suggestions or questions, you can add a comment to these posts, and then everybody can share your concern. Alternatively, you can email us: velocipedus at gmail dot com or alison at kendallplanning dot com.

Bike to School Week: Task List

2009-04-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Follow-up Tasks for Walk Bike to School Day:
Confirm JAMS preferred Bike Day
Contact JAMS PTSA and parent, student, teacher leaders re. April 28 mtg
Contact City and bike shops re prizes
Start email contact list for each school
Develop promotion, survey and count information
Document current bike parking (Photos)

Bike Safety Skills Ideas
Bike Safety Assembly-SM Police, LACBC, SSA
Helmet Use, Right side, sidewalk, common crash causes
Bike fit and maintenance
Offer Kids One + Two and Road One/101 at both schools in May?
Ron Durgin, Michael Cahn, Henry Hsieh, other new LCIs
Develop special Middle School class 2-3 hrs, after school?

Planning Walk or Bike to School Day

2009-04-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

WALK OR BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY PLANNING MEETING

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 3:30-5:30pm,
Meeting in Room 312, Blue Core
Lincoln Middle School
1501 California Avenue
Santa Monica CA 90403
Note: Room 312 is on ground floor,
near staff parking lot off California and the bike rack, of course!

AGENDA

1. Welcome and Introductions
Purpose: Plan for Walk or Bike to School Days June 1-5, 2009

2. Safe Routes to School at SMMUSD – Alison Kendall

3. Bike Day Organizing at Samohi – Lulu Mickelson and Theo Benjamin,
Samohi Solar Alliance

4. Walk-Bike Day at Lincoln June 3 and JAMS Middle Schools – June 3 or 5, 2009

5. Bicycle Safety Education Ideas for May:
Bike Safety Assembly
Bicycle Skills Classes - After School, LACBC and SM Police SRO
Helmet Sales at School
Sponsorship for Helmet Prize Giveaway
Safer Route Planning – Distribute Bike Maps
Additional Safe Bicycle Racks – Bike Valet?

6. Getting the Word Out:
Staff, Parent and Student Leaders at each School
School Administration and Security Staff
City: Police, CREST, TDM
PTSA Meetings, including Malibu, Council
School Email Lists
Student Posters
Competition/Rewards
Local Press

7. Collecting Information
Helmet Use and Bike Counts
Classroom Surveys: Walk, Bike, Transit, Carpool, Drive?
Rewards for Participation – Sponsors?
Calculate Carbon Savings
Recruit Volunteers for Next Year + Safe Routes

SMMUSD Adopts Bicycle Resolution

2009-04-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

At the meeting in the SMMUSD District offices the board members voted unanimously for the Resolution. Yeah! Thanks to Alison for the great work, thanks to Tana for the inspiration, thanks to Barbara for her support and being there early on. Thanks to Jim, Ron, Mihai, Anthony and most of all A Super Great Thank you to the students of SAMOHI, the Solar Alliance and the Bicycle Coalition: You've got the wheel rolling, and now we have a commitment from the district, and that means, that means, that means, that means the-sky-is-the-limit. Anyone said we need to think big? Yes indeed. And we may have a test on this resolution tomorrow, so we better all memorize it.

The discussion highlighted the need be flexible with the bike to school date because of conflicts with examinations. There was emphasis to ensure helmet use, there was a suggestion to count cyclists, and to report back on accident numbers, in order to improve dangerous roadways. There was a very interesting suggestion to honor, annually, a student, a parent, and a member of staff or teacher for "services to cycling", and now, --- leaving out all the Whereas - here is the Resolved

Resolved: The District supports the annual National “Bike/Walk to Work Week”, May 11 - 15, 2009, and the District also declares Friday, May 15, 2009 “Bike/Walk to School Day” for students and school staff;

Resolved: The District will support the establishment of bicycle clubs and other student clubs to encourage walking and biking to school.

Resolved: The District and school safety staff will work with the PTSA, local police and school resource officers and cycling organizations to maximize opportunities for safety education for cycling students as offered by the League of American Bicyclists, including promoting use of bicycle helmets, knowledge of traffic rules and cycling skills;

Resolved: The District will encourage schools to document unsafe pedestrian and bicycle routes to the schools in conjunction with Safe Routes to Schools programs;

Resolved: The District will actively pursue Safe Routes to School State infrastructure grant funding for improved bicycle facilities and infrastructure;

Resolved: The District will direct all schools receiving Safe Routes to School grants to include parents and staff in the educational effort;

Resolved: The District will offer their staff commute alternatives programs based on local Transportation Demand Management ordinances so that staff and teachers can become commuting role models for their students;

Resolved: The District will host a safe cycling course for staff and teachers as part of the commute alternatives;

Resolved: The District will collaborate with the city of Santa Monica to implement sustainable transportation policies for schools and other district facilities;

Resolved: The District will collaborate with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to develop a blueprint for Bicycle Policy Guidelines to be adopted by the District Health and Safety Advisory Committee and implemented by each school’s safety committee;

Resolved: The District schools will distribute free information to students, staff and parents on alternative modes and public transportation to schools provided by Big Blue Bus;

Resolved: This District should do all that it can to promote walking and cycling as a viable means of transportation to schools and offices;

Resolved: The District should encourage students, parents and school staff members to walk, bike, or take a bus to schools instead of driving;

Resolved: By 2012 all schools in the district are to have safe and secured bicycle parking facilities, meeting relevant bicycle rack specifications and providing sufficient secure bicycle parking capacity to meet the most recent CHPS standards for California schools such as a fenced bicycle area with bicycle racks, for students and staff and visitors. City of Santa Monica or LA DOT standards for bicycle racks should be consulted for updated standards. A range of bicycle parking, including some weather protected parking, bike parking accessible outside school hours, and bike parking near all campus entries should be provided.

Happy Bicycle Parking Everybody! What next?

SMMUSD To Consider Bicycle Resolution

2009-03-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

The Board of the SMMUSD is considering this bicycle friendly resolution. It supports walking and biking to school and declares May 15, 2009 Bike to School Day, suggests improved bicycle parking, bicycle safety education for staff and teachers, and of course also for students, bicycle guidelines, and active Safe Routes to School projects. The vote will take place at the School Board Meeting which starts at 5:30 pm on April 2, 2009 in the District Office, 1651 16th Street, Santa Monica. Please join us for the meeting, and support safe cycling at our schools. Download the booklet with the resolution and share it with others. Or read the same text printed on two pages without any folding. Use Comments below to share in this effort and get in touch with other concerned Students and Parents on the bicycle.

Bicycle Survey (Students and Teachers)

2009-01-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

This survey for students and teachers at Santa Monica Middle Schools.
If you are a parent please use the version for parents. Please take a few minutes and give us your feedback!

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National Center for Safe Routes to School

2009-01-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

The National Center for Safe Routes to School has a great website with plenty of information. Sign up for their email list to catch new developments grant opportunities.

2008-12-08T22:49:00.000-08:00

LACBC and Kendall Planning have just put together the first issue of a Safe Routes to Schools Newsletter. There is a focus on the Santa Monica area, there is interesting data about helmet useage, and advice how to get started with the big bicycle conversion at your own school: Because everybody loves a Bicycle Perfect School

Safe Bicycle Routes for LA Schools

2008-12-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

This blog is a resource for all those who feel the need to creat safe bicycle access to schools in the LA County. School districts galore, here we want to raise a small army of bicycle warriors, exchanging notes, advice, best practive, news and the success stories we all want to hear.
The blog is losely associated with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition LACBC, in that some of its contributors are active in the coalition, and it may draw, when appropriate, on the experience of the bicycle coalition.

Caltrans Resources

2008-12-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the Caltrans resources

Caltrans offers Safe Routes to Schools Training

2008-12-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

Attend a Free Workshop

California Safe Routes to School Grants (SR2S)

Presented by Ryan Snyder
When: Friday, December 12, 2008

Time: 9:00a.m. – 12:00 noon (Donuts and Coffee provided)

Where: Conference Room 1.040B
Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
100 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Please RSVP to Dale Benson dale_benson@dot.ca.gov

California Safe Routes to School is administered by Caltrans and encourages walking and bicycling to and from school in grades K through 12 by increasing safety and decreasing traffic congestion around schools. Caltrans administers both a State and a Federal funding program.

Funds may be used for infrastructure improvements (capital improvements) and/or non-infrastructure improvements (e.g. education and enforcement) projects.

The purpose of the workshop is to explain what comprehensive Safe Routes to School programs are, and how to prepare a successful grant application.
Topics will include the funding application process, suggested strategies, and example projects.

If you have any questions, please contact Dale Benson at (213) 897-2934.