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Dear parents, caregivers, educators, and community,
As the calendar year comes to an end, we're thankful for all the good work folks in our Safe Routes to School-world have invested into our community. While we usually focus our attention on big efforts and achievements, we want to take a moment to acknowledge that our world keeps turning because of small, thankless offerings of everyday people.
In the new year, we hope you too have moments of gratitude to supplement the often challenging work it takes to create the community we so desire.
Remember to follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and tag us in your stories so we can re-share them!
With gratitude,
The Safe Routes to School team | Brittany, Dana, Gui, Janis, Jeri, Josh, and Meaghan
In this email
Several adults and children ride bikes and scooters on their way to James John Elementary School on a foggy morning.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that Metro won a $1.1 million Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant for walking school and bike bus programs in N Portland. Project partners include Oregon Walks, Community Cycling Center, Portland State University, and Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT).
Funding local safety projects across the U.S.
The SS4A program provides grants to local communities for plans, projects, and activities as part of a systemic approach to prevent deaths and serious injuries on streets across the U.S. Last year, the DOT awarded PBOT $20 million for safety improvements on 122nd Avenue from SE Foster Road to NE Sandy Boulevard.
A group of students and adults walk through a park together on their way to Sitton Elementary School.
Investing in walking, biking, and rolling in N Portland
Metro's SS4A grant will support walking school and bike buses in Portland Public Schools' Roosevelt High School cluster, specifically Astor, James John, Sitton, Rosa Parks, César Chávez elementary schools; George Middle School; and Roosevelt High School.
The funding will support three activity areas:
- Adult-led support for students walking and rolling to school, e.g., paying adult leaders to create and run weekly walking school and bike buses
- Creating safer environments for walking and rolling, e.g., temporary wayfinding for walking school and bike bus routes and traffic gardens at elementary schools
- Ensuring students have skills and tools to walk and roll to school, e.g., bike and pedestrian safety at elementary schools and adopt-a-bike events
PBOT is ready to help
The City of Portland's Deputy City Administrator for Public Works, Priya Dhanapal, said that "this investment... demonstrates how focused safety measures and strong community partnerships can transform how our children get to school." PBOT Director, Millicent Williams, said that "this grant will help us bring together safety education and infrastructure improvements... and allow us to demonstrate how coordinated efforts can dramatically improve student safety and mobility."
Six students rides different styles bikes, including one adaptive bike, along a neighborhood street next to their school.
This fall, teachers led Safe Routes to School pedestrian safety, bike safety, and transportation safety education and our Transportation Academy in their classrooms at Creston, Glencoe, Mill Park, Patrick Lynch, Scott, Whitman, and Woodmere elementary schools and Beaumont, Centennial, and Kellogg middle schools. Safe Routes to School helped deliver education for Alliance and McDaniel high school students through Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Community Schools programming.
We're planting seeds for beautiful family moments at home
Three schools hosted pedestrian safety education for the first time, encouraged by tie-ins to walking school buses and other supportive programs for families.
Among the students in bike safety education classes, more than 90 students in grades 4-10 became proficient in riding a two-wheeled bike for the first time! Woodmere Elementary School PE teacher, Ed Rosario, shared:
One of the 10 students who learned how to ride, (who was also the) one who struggled the most has been telling me that his dad got him a bike... He followed me to tell me that his dad also got a bike but didn’t know how to ride and he was able to teach his dad and now they ride together after school. He used the same progressions he learned from the program. It was such a beautiful moment.
Elementary school students stand with their bikes in a line on a schoolyard listening to their teacher's instructions.
Bike safety education spots available this winter!
Is your school interested in offering bike safety education through a health or physical education class this January, February, or March? If so, our staff can provide free train-the-trainer education to help educators become transportation safety experts for their school community.
The Safe Routes to School team does not have the capacity to engage with all 61,700 students at Portland’s 108 schools across five districts. This is why we designed our program in a creative way to be more sustainable. Our train-the-trainer teaching model helps us expand our reach beyond what we would be able to do through direct education with students alone.
To supplement elementary and middle school bike safety education, Safe Routes to School offers a fleet of bikes and helmets for students to learn bike handling skills and road safety awareness in both classroom and outdoor settings. (Please note that elementary schools need to commit to also offer pedestrian safety education this school year, unless they offered it last year.)
A handmade sign, "Walk and Roll to School!" hangs from a snack table
America Walks Community Change Grants
Applications open Monday, Dec. 16
The Community Change Grants program supports the growing network of community champions, organizations, and agencies working to advance walkability. America Walks awards grants to innovative and engaging programs and projects that create change and opportunity for walking and movement at the community level.
League of American Bicyclists' Community Spark Grants
Due Friday, Jan. 17
The League of American Bicyclists awards organizations for projects and programs that spark change and catalyze a community’s ability to create places where bicycling is safer, easier, and more accessible. Community Spark Grants support the growing number of local grassroots changemakers and organizations nationwide working to improve their communities through better bicycling with $2,000 mini-grants.
Winter Walk + Roll to School Day
Wednesday, Feb. 5
Put on your snow or rain boots and walk or roll to school while enjoying wintertime in Portland. Winter Walk + Roll to School Day is an annual tradition across the state and an opportunity for local school communities to come together, build connections, and celebrate getting to school in a fun and sustainable way. We will share more information about how to order event incentives for you school soon!
Teens in the Driver Seat Driving the Message contest
Due Friday, Feb. 14
This year's Teens in the Driver Seat Driving the Message Contest challenges junior high and high school students to create content promoting seat belt safety, speeding prevention, and/or how to "share the road." Students will have a chance to win up to $1,500 plus an opportunity to have a film crew, led by an Emmy-nominated producer, come to your campus to professionally re-produce your video!
Partners for Places matching grants
Due Friday, Feb. 28
The Partners for Places matching grant program supports equitable sustainability projects and helps build partnerships between local government leaders, frontline community groups, and place-based funders in the U.S. and Canada. These matching awards provide partnership investments between $45-$100k for one-year projects, or between $75-$150k for two-year projects, with one or more local foundations required to provide at least a 50% matching grant.
Project Yellow Light scholarship competition
Due Saturday, March 1 and Tuesday, April 1
People know distracted driving is dangerous, but they do it anyway. As a Project Yellow Light applicant you have one clear mission: create a public service announcement to encourage your friends to avoid distracted driving, specifically using your phone while driving. Scholarships range from $2,000 to $8,000.
Metro Regional Travel Options small grants
Applications can be submitted anytime
Metro Regional Travel Options (RTO) small grants fund specific, one-time purchases of materials and services to support events, education, and outreach activities ranging from $500 (Safe Routes to School micro-grants) to $5,000 (RTO mini-grants).
You make our community great!
Atkinson, Beach, Boise-Eliot/Humboldt, Bridlemile, Chief Joseph, Clark, Creston, Duniway, Forest Park, Glencoe, Grout, Irvington, Jason Lee, Kelly, Lewis, Llewellyn, Maplewood, Menlo Park, Peninsula, Richmond, Rigler, Rose Parks, Sabin, Stephenson, Vestal, Whitman, Woodlawn, and Woodstock elementary schools; César Chávez, Laurelhurst, Sunnyside Environmental, and Vernon K-8 schools; ACCESS Academy; Kellogg Middle School; and Jefferson High School.
A child rides their bike on a street lined by two green "school street" signs next to a school.
Last school year, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Portland Public Schools (PPS) teamed up to evaluate pilot School Streets—local access only blocks adjacent to schools with signs to redirect vehicle traffic during arrival and dismissal—across five schools: Beach, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Peninsula elementary schools; Astor K-8; and Kellogg Middle School. The program intended to create a safer environment during arrival and dismissal; calm traffic; encourage more students and families to walk, bike, roll, or park-and-walk to school; and create community connections. Now, following that evaluation, Safe Routes to School's findings are available.
An A-frame green "school street" sign listing the only local access permitted.
Key takeaways from the report
Most participating school principals or building leaders were favorable of School Streets and expressed interested in continuing the program, including the following features:
- Protected loading/unloading zones for buses
- Designated circulation patterns for different types of travel
- Visible, low-maintenance signage
What's next for School Streets?
The School Streets program is paused and not accepting new requests. The Safe Routes to School team is currently re-evaluating, working to secure financial resources, and exploring policy options before delivery an updated version of the program in the future.
A yellow forklift picks up a large pile of golden, dried, leaves on a neighborhood street.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Leaf Day service sweeps 53 districts with the highest concentration of mature street trees and leaves—about a third of the city.
What is Leaf Day?
From November to December each year, Leaf Day service helps PBOT provide cleaner, safer streets; keep our storm drains clear; and ensure our intersections don’t flood. Leaf Day pickup is free for residents in Leaf Districts. There is no need to opt in or out.
Not sure if you're in a Leaf District? Look up your address and find out!
Everyone in a Leaf District should receive a brochure in the mail letting them know their pickup district number and schedule, as well as directions on how to make the most of their Leaf Day service. Use this interactive PortlandMaps tool to see the boundaries of all the city's Leaf Districts and other information about your address.
Check out the City of Portland's job opportunities list every Monday for new positions!
Safe Routes to School Coordinator
Open until filled
The Safe Routes to School Coordinator is responsible for development, coordination, and implementation of the Safe Routes to School program for the Centennial School District. This includes program development/planning, program administration, marketing/outreach, education and training, event promotion, and volunteer coordination.
PCEF Community Benefits Fund Committee
Closing Tuesday, Dec. 31
Are you looking for a space where your passion, knowledge, and skills will contribute to a more just society? Do you envision your city as one that advances racial justice and leads with equity to provide a clean energy future for frontline communities? The Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) Community Benefits Fund Committee is seeking leaders like you.
Sustainability and Climate Commission
Open until Friday, Jan. 17
The new Sustainability and Climate Commission (SCC) will elevate the importance of building resilience and sustainability in our communities to address the climate crisis. The SCC will be the City of Portland's leading authority on climate and sustainability, advising elected officials and city leadership. Four of the 20 seats available are dedicated to youth ages 16-24.
Contact us
SafeRoutes@portlandoregon.gov
3-1-1
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