Cupertino’s annual Earth and Arbor Day festival is coming right up! Join us Saturday, April 5 from 11 am - 3 pm at Library Field. This festival is an interactive event that invites community members of all ages to learn about environmental issues and solutions in a family-friendly atmosphere. It will feature dozens of partner organizations, hands-on activities, live entertainment, and delicious food served by local food trucks. We will have our Safe Routes to School booth there serving pedal-powered smoothies from our blender bikes! Learn more here.

Become an SR2S High School Student Rep

Will you be a student at Homestead, Monta Vista, or Cupertino High School next school year? Would you like to foster sustainable transportation at your school? Do you have ideas about how to encourage your fellow students to consider ditching the car drop-off line and consider walking, biking, taking transit, or carpooling? Do you wish more people understood the transportation challenges of people in wheelchairs? If you answered yes to any of the questions above, we encourage you to apply to be part of the Cupertino Safe Routes to School Working Group! Safe Routes to School Is looking for High School student representatives for next school year. Applications are due Sunday, April 20. You can learn more and apply here.

Decorate Your School Bike Racks

Santa Clara County Public Health is hosting their countywide bike rack decorating contest from April 21- May 9. This contest is calling all students and schools to bring out their creative talents by decorating their bike racks and competing against schools across the county. All photos of decorated bike racks are due May 9, and the winning school will receive a perpetual trophy and bragging rights until next year. Learn more about how to register your school here. 

Participate in a Walk n' Roll Day at Your School

Are you just jonesin’ for a dedicated day to walk or bike to your school this spring? Check with your school to see if they are hosting a walk and roll day! What’s a walk and roll to school day you might ask? Check out more information here. PSA: We need parent volunteers to pull these off. If you’re willing to dedicate a morning of your time this spring to help hand out prizes to adorable children on their bikes and scooters this would be incredibly helpful. Please reach out to your school or to City SR2S staff and we can plug you in to an opportunity. Email us at saferoutes@cupertino.gov.

May is Bike Month!

May is National Bike Month and it's right around the corner. This is the perfect time to embrace biking as a fun, healthy, and sustainable way to get around! Whether it’s riding to school, the park, the grocery store, or a friend’s house, biking together is a great way to spend quality time as a family while staying active and reducing car trips. Information to come on exciting May events in our next newsletter. For now, mark your calendars!

Is Your Student Ready?

It can be tricky to know when your child is ready to walk and bike to school for their first time. 

Here is a Ten-Question Test to see if your child is ready to go to school by themselves.

We know the idea of letting your child walk or bike without you can be scary, and we want to say “good job” on giving your kids this opportunity for independence! Remember, kids are often ready to do this on their own long before parents think they are ready. You might remember your own first experiences of walking or biking to school solo and how proud they made you feel. Give your kids the same chance to prove themselves. They will thank you for it. For more resources about safe travel to/from school, check out our webpage.