San Mateo County, CA — The San Mateo County Office of Education’s Safe Routes to School program is the recipient of a $135,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to prioritize the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians.

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program encourages and enables school children to walk and bicycle to school by implementing projects and activities that improve the health, well-being, and safety of children, and result in less traffic congestion and emissions caused by school-related travel. The SRTS program engages students, educators, and families from more than 100 schools across the county, particularly in communities that lack the infrastructure to support safe modes of transportation to and from school campuses.

Funding from this grant will complement the county-wide program by providing support to high-priority schools based on their proximity to unsafe intersections. Grant funds will also pay for a comprehensive safety program that will teach valuable skills for all types of road users through the following activities:

  • Community bicycle and walk “audits” of streets with a high rate of pedestrian and/or bicycle fatalities and serious injury crashes.
  • Walking Field Trips that educate youth and older adults on safe walking habits.
  • Participate in “Open Streets” events promoting alternate transportation options.
  • Bicycle skills and training courses that educate youth on safe riding behaviors.
  • Helmet fitting inspections and distribution of helmets to those in need.
  • Community and school education presentations on best biking/walking practices.
  • Pop-up events that promote the importance of visibility on roads with safety equipment such as reflective armbands/leg bands and bicycle headlights/taillights.

“Our roads are increasingly riskier for people who walk or ride their bike,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “The goal of this funding is to reverse the growing trend of bicyclist and pedestrian-involved crashes by educating the public on safe road behaviors.”

The grant program, which was provided by OTS through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will run through September 2022. Visit the County Office of Education’s website to learn more about its Safe Routes to School program.