safe routes logoSafe Routes to Schools

E-Newsletter       June 2014
In This Issue
Bacich Students Travel Green
Novato Schools Get Improvements
Bike Mobile
Bike Donation Drives
Canal Women's Program
Register for Iwalk
Federal Update
Family Biking Workshops
Learn to ride with the whole family.  
July 19 Larkspur
Women onWheels      

Women's Classes

June 26 Basic Bike Maintenance

July 12 Gearing and Hills

July 17 Advanced Bike Maintenance

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Have a Great Summer!!! 

 

Bacich Students Travel Green on Wednesdays

                           

bike to school day

 

The Kentfield parent survey and found that 71% of  students participated in "Green Wednesday" by walking, biking or carpooling to school. The fall student surveys showed 51% traveled green to school. In the survey that went up to 66% in general and 71% on Wednesdays. 

 

The program is well-known in the district; 94% of respondents indicated that they've heard of the KSD Safe Routes to School Program. 

 

The program is having impact in the district; 35% of respondents indicated that their "travel to school choices" have become more "green" as a result of the KSD Safe Routes to School program.

 

Events and "Green Wednesday" scanning made the largest impact on influencing "green" travel changes; 44% of respondents indicated what most influenced their "green" travel changes were their children's desire to participate in events such as International Walk to School Day, National Bike to School Day and Green Wednesday scanning days at Bacich.

   

 

Contract Awarded for Crosswalk, Sidewalk Improvements in Novato

 

Proposed improvements

 

The route to school could become safer this fall now that the Novato City Council has awarded a contract for curb extensions, crosswalks and sidewalks to provide safer access to two Novato schools.

Coastside Concrete of Santa Rosa was awarded $261,743 Tuesday to build the safety improvements affecting Lynwood Elementary and Sinaloa Middle schools. The money for the construction comes from a grant award for the Safe Routes to School program.

 

"These are the kinds of improvements we want to continue to make in our city that make it safer for kids to walk and bike to school and reduce congestion during peak periods," said Councilwoman Madeline Kellner. "It has benefits not only for the students and their families, but also for people who live in and visit Novato."

 

"This is good news because it will make the area safer for kids riding bicycles to school," said Novato resident Michelle Ganote. "Given that news, I will probably allow my son to bike now from where I live at Sandy Creek, if we can get a crossing guard."

 

 

Sign-up Now to have Student Bikes Tuned-up for Free at your School! 

 

Miller Creek

 

The BikeMobile has been making the rounds at Marin County Schools. The Bay Area BikeMobile hosts bike fix-a-thons at schools, community centers, parks, and community events across the San Francisco Bay Area. At these fix-a-thons, they help youth repair their bikes, teach mechanics and safety, and provide accessories when possible.

 

They have recently visited St. Rita, Hall and Miller Creek Schools in Marin. The mechanics worked for 3 hours cranking on bikes. Even some teachers at Miller Creek got a good tune up for their bikes. If you want to sign up for the Bike Mobile for your event or school contact [email protected]   

 

Middle School Students Collect Bikes to Give Away

  

    MVMS bike drive

Safe Routes to Schools wishes to extend a warm thank you to Mill Valley Middle School Student Council and the Kent Middle School Eco-Action Club and community for the Bike Donation Drives this past month which brought in nearly 80 bikes for under-served families in Marin County.   It's extremely rewarding to think that thanks to their combined effort, there will be families biking together this summer in preparation for school next fall.

 

Canal Women Learn to Bicycle

 

Canal Women at the CalPark Tunnel

 

Seventeen women in the Canal district of San Rafael now have a way to get around thanks to the Women on Wheels program. The women participated in a pilot program to provide bicycles to disadvantaged Latino women and teach them how to ride.

They started in the classroom to learn basic rules of the road and then moved onto the blacktop to practice balance and control and other basic drills. On their final ride, they rode to downtown San Rafael and then went through the tunnel to the farmer's market at Marin Country Mart. Many of the women didn't even know that Larkspur Landing existed, let alone a 10 minute bike ride from their homes.

One of the women has already been spotted pulling her child on a trailer through the Canal. This will be their only means of transportation.

The program was funded by the League of American Bicyclists Women's Fund and the Sylvia Bingham Fund. Bicycles were provide by donations from community members including those donated to the middle school bike drives. We also are extremely grateful to Tam Bikes which supplied the new helmets.  

 

Sign up for Iwalk this Fall

 

Sun Valley Walk to SChool Day

 

Register your school now now for International Walk and Roll to School Day -- Wednesday, October 8, 2014. Schools, parents and community members can now register a Walk to School Day event at walkbiketoschool.org. Registering an event provides organizers access to a variety of downloadable materials, including stickers, certificates, badges, and classroom activities. All registered events appear on the official Who's Walking map, making it easy to show potential or existing partners and media where events will take place.

 

 

Federal Update: Lawmakers Continue Debate over Funding, Timing on Transportation Bill

 

National Partnership logo

 

This month, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee completed markup of the Map-21 Reauthorization Act. The Senate's reauthorization of our nation's surface transportation programs includes some significant wins for Safe Routes to School, including: restoring eligibility for non-profits, returning Safe Routes to School projects to 100 percent federal funding, creating greater local control and transparency for the Transportation Alternatives Program, and the inclusion of a non-motorized performance measure.
 
Since then, Congress has moved into a period of hurry up and wait on any further action.  The Senate Banking, Commerce, and Finance Committees must each pass their respective portions of the bill before the Senate can take a final vote, and so far we've heard only silence from the House. Even former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood chimed in last week, saying there is "nothing happening...when it comes to the highway bill."  The largest hurdle in the House now is not necessarily policy, but how to pay for a long-term bill.  On that front there's similar inaction, but House Members are beginning to chime in that lame duck - the period between November elections and the New Year - may be the best time to move a financing bill.  In the meantime, we are working behind the scenes with offices to build support for our priorities so that we're ready when things do kick into gear.