Safe Routes to School

May 17 - Bike to Work Day

Visit one of the many energizer stations around the county! Remember...if you can't bike, you can always walk or take transit!

May 8 - Bike to School Day

Join cyclists from around the nation in celebration of National Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 8th! The first National Bike to School Day event was held on May 9, 2012 and scheduled to coordinate with the League of American Bicyclists National Bike Month.

April - Earth Month

Join San Mateo County Safe Routes to School and RecycleWorks of San Mateo County in Celebrating Earth Day! Walking School Buses and groups can pick up litter along the way to reduce carbon emissions and keep our home beautiful. San Mateo County Safe Routes to School created an Earth Day toolkit for you to encourage students to walk, bike, and roll to school throughout Earth Month and also plan activities that can build momentum for the rest of the year. 

March 18-22 - Crossing Guard Appreciation Week

Let your crossing guards know you appreciate them! The San Mateo County Office of Education’s Safe Routes to School program has prepared this toolkit to help you appreciate your local crossing guards. This toolkit is also available in Spanish. 

February-March - Golden Sneaker Events

Golden Sneaker events are a fun way to get children and families walking to school! With this event, students track the number of times they bike, walk, carpool or use transit as a means of getting to school. The classroom with the greatest participation rate earns a coveted Golden Sneaker Award. While events may be held at anytime, the formal San Mateo County Golden Sneaker Competition is held during the last week of February and first week of March.

November 14 - Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

Ruby Bridges became a symbol of the civil rights movement at age six when she was the youngest of a group of African American students designated to integrate schools in the American South. On November 14, 1960, her first day of school at William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Ruby was escorted by four federal marshals and spent the entire day in the principal’s office as irate parents marched into the school to remove their children. 

Districts and schools in San Mateo County are encouraged to recognize Ruby's impact by adopting "Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day" on November 14, or on the following Wednesday of each when November 14 falls on a weekend. SMCOE provides a number of resources to support districts and the community in taking part in this initiative. Visit the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day website or go to www.tinyurl.com/RubyBridgesWalk

October 9, 2024 - International Walk to School Day

International Walk to School Day (IWTSD) is a global event involving children walking to school. Students are back in school for in-person learning! 

September & October 2024 - Pedestrian Safety Months

There are a lot of people out walking these days! Pedestrian Safety Month is a reminder to practice safe walking techniques and to be a conscientious and alert driver. The San Mateo County Office of Education is celebrated Pedestrian Safety Month.

Click HERE and HERE for Pedestrian Safety Month resources from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Play along and learn bicycle and pedestrian safety lessons with these online activities:

Star Wars Safe Routes to School Virtual Escape Room: Baby Yoda's Safe Journey

Ruby Bridges: A Virtual Walk Through History

• City/County Association of Governments
• Transportation Authority
• Active Transportation Program
• Office of Traffic Safety

• 2020-21 SRTS Annual Report
• 2019-20 SRTS Annual Report
• 2017-18 SRTS Annual Report
• 2016-17 SRTS Annual Report
• 2015-16 SRTS Annual Report
• 2014-15 SRTS Annual Report

Approved Service Providers for SMCOE Safe Routes to School

EarthCapades

Ecology Action

KidPower

Marine Science Institute

Music Notes

Our Voice

Perfection on Wheels

Safe Moves

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

Toole Design

Parisi Transportation Consulting

Alta Planning + Design

Other Partners

AAA of Northern California provides resources for school safety patrols and Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

Active Transportation Resource Center provides resources, technical assistance, and training to transportation partners across California to increase opportunity for the success of active transportation projects.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the public agency entrusted with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties. 

BikeMobile, a free service that can fix flat tires, adjust brakes and gears, and even replace broken or worn out parts like chains, seats, and tires.  Bike or no bike, it can be educational for all who show up.  Their visits can stand-alone or they can link up to an existing event like a health fair.  All you have to do is pick a date and promote it with flyers and announcements that they provide.  A visit typically lasts 2.5 to 4 hours.  Schedule your free visit today!

City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County manages issues that affect the quality of life; transportation, air quality, stormwater runoff, hazardous waste, solid waste and recycling, land use near airports, and abandoned vehicle abatement in San Mateo County.

California Department of Education The Office of the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Integrated Waste Management Board have reviewed and concurred with the Environmental Principles and Concepts. 

California Department of Transportation is a supporter of the Safe Routes to School Program and its efforts.  

Commute.org encourages and supports the use of sustainable alternatives to driving alone. 

Cool the Earth is a free, ready-to-run climate change assembly program that educates K-8 students and their families about climate change and inspires them to take simple actions to reduce their carbon emissions.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides stewardship over the construction, maintenance and preservation of the Nation’s highways, bridges and tunnels. FHWA also conducts research and provides technical assistance to state and local agencies in an effort to improve safety, mobility, and livability, and to encourage innovation.

Flows to Bay: San Mateo Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Clean water. Healthy community. It's a team effort.

Get Healthy San Mateo County works collaboratively with all stakeholders to develop strategies that will reduce and prevent obesity and other health risks of unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity among all children in San Mateo County.

Green Star Schools Certification Program is designed to honor, support, and recognize the important work of teachers and students in the advancement of environmental sustainability. This program is supported by RecycleWorks of San Mateo County, MTC, Stopwaste.org, and Bright Green San Jose.

League of American Bicyclists represents bicyclists in the movement to create? safer roads, stronger communities, and a bicycle-friendly America. Through information, advocacy and promotion, the League works to celebrate and preserve the freedom cycling brings to members everywhere.

Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) plans, finances and coordinates transportation for the nine Bay Area counties.

National Center for Safe Routes to School has extensive information about funding, special events and programs.

Peninsula Healthcare District works to ensure that all residents of the District enjoy optimal health through education, prevention, and access to needed health care services. 

Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance (The Alliance) works to improve the San Mateo County Commute.

Redwood City Together brings together key public and private organizations in our community in ongoing efforts to ensure the health and success of all children, youth and families served by the Redwood City School District.

Ruby Bridges Foundation promotes Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day as a national day of dialogue. 

Safe Routes Partnership a national nonprofit organization working to advance safe walking and rolling to and from schools and in everyday life, improving the health and well-being of people of all races, income levels, and abilities, and building healthy, thriving communities for everyone.

SamTrans partners with schools to provide school tripper busses and moving into the future with electric busses.

Sequoia Healthcare District works to improve the quality of life for District residents by enhancing access to healthcare services and by supporting and encouraging programs and activities designed to achieve health, wellness, and disease prevention.

Spare the Air Youth is a regional program that aims to educate, inspire and empower youth and families in the San Francisco Bay Area to walk, bicycle, carpool, and take transit.

Transform advocates for making world-class public transportation and wonderful, walkable communities the norm - not the exception - in the Bay Area and California.

Travonde works with organizations to foster diverse and inclusive communities.