By: Hannah Day-Kapell, Principal, Alta
The Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) community, like many others, has shifted and adapted to our changing world over the last 18+ months. With many schools remote or limiting on-campus activities and visitors, we’ve all had to find new ways to reach students and families. While it hasn’t been easy, it has forced some out-of-the-box thinking and innovation, resulting in many activities that can improve how we reach school communities, even as we return to more traditional learning.
Here are some SRTS trends we’ve been observing:
- Movement towards monthly themes, tips, and activities rather than a focus on a single day each year. Sonoma County SRTS has done an excellent job of creating interactive monthly materials and ways to engage with their program throughout the year. We know from SRTS evaluations that schools with the highest rates of walking and biking also tend to participate in ongoing events and encouragement activities.
- Distanced activities that promote walking and rolling through messaging and downloadable content. Examples include the Oregon Metro and Oregon Department of Transportation’s Drive Like It campaign and activities like scavenger hunts, Art Contests, Activity Bingo, and how to walk videos. We have also assembled some physical distancing resources on the Oregon SRTS website.
- Programming that centers and celebrates diverse experiences. The San Mateo County Office of Education’s Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in November teaches about six-year-old Ruby Bridges’ historic walk to integrate her school in 1960.
- Collaboration between SRTS and Travel Demand Management (TDM) practitioners. TDM programs generally focus on shifting adult commute travel to more sustainable modes. But we in the SRTS world know that adults’ need to continue to their jobs is a key reason they drive their children. With King County Metro, Alta is promoting schools as transportation hubs to communicate travel options for the second leg of the adult commute trip. Read more about it in our School Transportation Hub guidebook and the Reclaim your Family Commute handout.
Stay tuned for more SRTS updates this fall as we continue to evolve our practice to meet the needs of our communities. In the meantime, learn more about our SRTS Service Area, and reach out to Hannah Day-Kapell if you’d like to learn about SRTS strategies for your school community.
