Bunny Hopping the Roadblocks to Success: Bicycling and Safe Routes to School

Dave Cowan, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Robert Ping, Technical Assistance Director, Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Shane MacRhodes, SRTS Program Manager, 4j School District

Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Founded in 2005 500 organizations, agencies and schools Changes policies at national, state and local levels

Provides best practices, technical assistance, and builds leadership www.saferoutespartnership.org

Dave Cowan Program Manager

Technical Assistance – CPPW, CTG,

TARC (California), local, regional and

state SRTS programs

Authored Local Policy Guide, Bicycle

and Pedestrian Curricula Guide, CPPW

and SRTS.

Education Director Bicycle Colorado

League Certified Instructor - LAB

Educated 30,000+ students

National SRTS Course Certified Trainer

Shane MacRhodes Program Manager Eugene School District 4J

Robert Ping Technical Assistance Director

Technical Assistance – CPPW, CTG, TARC (California), National

Learning Network, Fee for Service

State Network Project - Policy Change in 20 States

Congressional SRTS Task Force

Portland SRTS Program Manager

Oregon SRTS Technical Assistance

Bicycle Safety Education - Oregon and CA Bay Area

SF Bay Area: Policy, Bicycle Advocacy, Earn-a-Bike, Youth

Mentoring, Youth Education, Environmental Advocacy

Various committees: School Siting, Diversity, Childhood Obesity,

National Physical Plan, Bicycle Education Network, Portland SRTS

Today’s Agenda:

• Introduction • The Bicycle Stigma • Bicycling in Lower-Income Communities • Bike Fleets • Bike Trains • Bicycle Safety Curricula • Bike Parking, Storage and Security • Building Relationships in the Community • Tapping into Bicycle Expertise • Building Bicycling in the Community • School Policies that Support Bicycling to School • Questions and (hopefully) Answers

Identify the Roadblocks to Success

SFGate

SFGate

SFGate

National Policy Advocacy

State Network Project

Regional Network Project

Technical Assistance

Cycling is Viewed as a Rich White Man’s Sport • Bike advocacy has not been inclusive • Emphasis has been on elite riding • That can change! SRTS may be doing just that…

Equipment • Purchase and Maintenance Costs • Storage and Parking

Trips for Kids - Denver

Bicycling in Lower-Income Communities

In 38% of schools, at least half of students are lower-income 42% of US children live in lower-income families Lower-income children twice as likely to walk to school Higher risk of being injured or killed as pedestrians—often due to neighborhood

barriers

Perception: SRTS is only benefiting middle or higher-income schools and communities

Lack of attention on SRTS best practices/examples in lower-income communities

Not many technical assistance resources focused on unique challenges

It Takes Time to Build Trust and Credibility • Make sure that the community is represented • Don’t expect change in attitude right away

It’s OK to Talk About Race, Class and Culture! • Cultural competence – bring a partner who is, if you are not • Don’t expect resolution, just listen, consider and plan

The Challenge

Lack of planners and engineers needed to apply for and implement SRTS.

Promising Practices

Wilmington, DE Area MPO - Environmental Justice Initiative drives their transportation work. EX: Southbridge neighborhood circulation

study, convening partners, and applying for SRTS funds.

Feet First, Seattle, WA - bilingual AmeriCorps volunteer at Concord International Elementary is community SRTS organizer:

recruiting volunteers

engaging partners

developing walking school bus

gets the program going

prepares school and parents to sustain the program

Professional Expertise

The Challenge

51% of lower-income parents jobs prevent

involvement in school activities

Language barriers and immigration status

Promising Practices

Nichols Elementary School, Detroit, MI - parents get monthly stipends to lead walking school buses. When funding ran dry, junior high students stepped up to walk younger children

TransForm, Alameda County, CA - combining SRTS with parent leadership development and advocacy training.

EX: Global Family School, Oakland: parents learn how to lead walking school buses, how to participate in neighborhood crime prevention meetings, how to engage neighbors in improving safety for kids.

Parental Involvement

The Challenge

Many children walk and bike to school despite high rates of crime and violence

Children are 5 times more likely to walk and bike to school when safety is not a primary concern

Promising Practices

Dawes School - Chicago Area Policing Program: parent patrols and walking school bus leaders use walkie-talkies to report crime and call for help, and safe havens with local businesses

Thomas Elementary, Flagstaff, AZ: police substation near WSB park, local businesses stopped selling “40s”, and walking school bus

Zavala Elementary, Austin, TX: corner captains and walking school buses get more eyes on the street and get more children to walk in groups

Personal Safety: Crime and Violence

Local Program Recommendations

Have expertise in SRTS or developing travel plans? – offer help to an underserved school Advocates: see if DOT will fund you to lead program – and try local stipends to parents, other leaders Meet with leaders from underserved communities, communities of color, immigrants Make sure that communities are represented on committees, task forces, school team Partner with: community groups, churches, clubs, agencies, neighborhood businesses

Traffic Safety Education

Salem, Oregon Bicycle Club

Access to Bicycles and Equipment

Repair and Maintenance

Traffic Safety Education

Traffic Safety Education

Infrastructure Improvements

National/State Policy Recommendations

Create simple evaluation tools to measure safety improvements—not just mode shift State SRTS programs should:

Track economic and geographic distribution of applications and awards Provide extra help to underserved communities and schools during application and implementation

State advisory committees should include underserved communities, communities of color

Safe Routes to School State Network Project: 2007-2011

Funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Local Policy Recommendations

Involve underserved community leaders/champions in planning – committees, task forces, school teams Advocate that city/county governments build solutions for underserved schools and communities into budgets, policies, programs Encourage school districts to pass walk/bike policies at all schools and ensure that underserved schools get support and resources to apply for SRTS grants.

Resource: Low-Income Communities

Guide and 2 webinars available at saferoutespartnership.org/lowincomeguide

Resource:Local Policy Guide

Evaluation

Evaluation

Funding, Organizing and Maintaining Bicycle Fleets

Bicycle Fleets

Funding Bicycle Fleets

• Safe Routes for Non-Drivers, TE

• Foundations (obesity, active lifestyles, environment)

• Donations (local corporations, businesses)

• School Fundraising

• Specialized Dealer Grants

• Caroline White Pep Grants

Maintenance

Finding and Choosing Bikes

Finding and Choosing Bikes

Maintenance

• Types of bikes

• Local Bike Shops

• Volunteer events

• Build a Bike Program Trainees

Organizing Fleets

Success Story

Bicycle Safety Education in the Classroom

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Funding from CPPW

City partnered with Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition

All 174 elementary schools will receive traffic safety lessons

Organizing Successful Bike Trains

What is a bike train?

Similarities and differences to a walking school bus

Map It Pick a meeting spot(s) and the choose the route(s)

Schedule It Pick a start date, recurring day(s) and time(s)

Spread the word Meetings, newsletters, online, flyers

Create the structure Set guidelines, assign conductors & cabooses,

Other Considerations

• Safety

•Weather

• Resources

Have fun!

Bicycle Parking, Storage and Security

Why is Adequate Bike Parking Important?

• Safe Routes is building more bicyclists

• Kids won’t ride without a safe and obvious place to park

• Helps promote Safe Routes program

• Quick engineering improvement to show

progress

• Demonstrates school support for bicycling

Strategies for Improving Bicycle Parking

• Talking with power people

• Building support

• Funding for bicycle racks

• Siting for racks

• Choosing the right number of racks

• Choosing the right type of racks

• Rack installation

• Rack maintenance and education

• Scooters and skateboards

Talk with your Power People

• Present at PTA meeting

• Talk with school staff and parents

• Meet with school principal

• Check in with city or county staff

• Contact state safe routes coordinator

• Local advocacy organizations and

neighborhood groups

Bad Bike Racks

Bad Bike Racks?

Common Issues:

• Located out of normal sight

• No entryway access

• Near obstacles (bushes, walls, etc..)

• On grass or dirt

• Not secured to ground

• Don’t promote bicycling

Bad Bike Racks?

Bad Bike Racks?

Bad Bike Racks?

Bad Bike Racks?

Bad Bike Racks?

Bad Bike Racks?

Bad Bike Racks?

Bad Bike Racks?

Choosing the Right Type of Racks

• Support frame at two points, allow one of the frame’s triangles and front wheel to be locked to the rack

• Have space in between racks and bicycles to move freely and to prevent bicycles from touching each other.

• Are securely mounted into the ground or bolted to the sidewalk or concrete slab

• Are resistant to cutting, rusting, or bending.

Siting Racks – Positive Example:

Benjamin Franklin high school, Portland, OR

• High visibility area

• Near entrances

• Out of the way of foot traffic

• Away from walls, bushes, or

obstacles

• Plenty of space around racks

• On a hard surface

• Racks can be in multiple locations

Beach Elementary, Portland, OR

• 2007-08 had no bicycling policy

• Joined Safe Routes in 2008-09

• School had nowhere to park bicycles

Beach Elementary, Portland, OR

• PTA requested racks from City

• Concord Neighborhood Greenway

• Bike train

• 20 staple racks installed

• Bicycles use all capacity

Beach Elementary, Portland, OR

Covered Bicycle Racks

Belleview Elementary

Ashland, OR

Photo by: Derek Severson

Rack Maintenance and Education

Educate with: • Signage near racks

• Staff/parents teaching at racks

• Part of education class

• Frequent reminders

Security

U-Locks

Security in Low Income or High Crime Areas

• Bicycle cages

• Indoor parking

• Community cable lock

• Ensure high visibility racks

Building Relationship in the Community

SFGate

Shops, Clubs, Groups and Teams are the Experts! SRTS advocates often don’t have bicycle expertise Bicycling often stalls in SRTS without your input Bicycling needs more resources than walking

• Cross promotion

• Staff/member Volunteers

• Bike and helmet donations, or dealer cost (fleet?)

• Century Ride/Race donation

• Special Event for SRTS

• Repairs and Parts

• Represent Business/Club/Team at Policy/Funding Meetings

• Join SRTS Committee

• Sponsor Club or Team at School

• Shop is Safe Haven

• Build Course/Track/Skills Area

Bicyclists > SRTS

• Shop, Club, Team, Group PR - Logo Placement, “Sponsored by”

• Shop is ride destination

• Shop is Bike Train/WSB Stop

• SRTS connects bicyclists with school

• SRTS creates ‘feeder’ members

• SRTS connects bicyclists with local leaders, policymakers

• SRTS ‘goodwill’ helps with advocacy and promotions

• SRTS grant could mean business

SRTS > Bicyclists

School Staff Bicyclists

Lewis Elementary Teachers, Portland Oregon

Bike Commute Challenge Team

Bicycling in the Community

Kidical Mass, Ciclovia’s, Parades, and more

Kidical Mass

Kidical Mass Theme rides & more

classic (ice cream!) Pirate/Treasure Hunt

Pajama Party Bike to Baseball

Bike & Boat School Spirit

Bugs Superhero/heroine

Geocaching Pumpkin carving

Fancy Pants holiday lights

kidical camping

Community Events

Have Fun!

Supportive Bicycling Policies

The Myth of Sisyphus (sis-e-fuss)

A policy is:

• a statement in writing

• binding

• setting out a general approach to be applied broadly

What is a Policy?

Policy institutionalizes good ideas.

Policy reaches more people.

Policy allows for accountability, enforcement and consistent implementation.

Policy establishes relationships & responsibilities.

Bicycling Policies

• Supportive Bicycling Policies

• Bike Parking Policies

• Arrival/Dismissal Policies

• Traffic Safety in the Curriculum

• Bike Train Policies?

• School Siting Policies

• Fleet Management (Joint Use)

Thank you!

Shane MacRhodes, SRTS Program Manager, 4j School District rhodes_sh@4j.lane.edu

Robert Ping, TA Director, Safe Routes to School National

Partnership robert@saferoutespartnership.org

Dave Cowan, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School

dave@saferoutespartnership.org

Questions, Comments?