Safe Routes to School

Vision

The efforts of Safe Routes to School in San Mateo County result in less traffic congestion around schools, improved air quality, a greener, healthier community and an increase in self-reliance among San Mateo County children who walk and bike to school.  Safe Routes to School is the catalyst for teaching children traffic safety skills and encouraging them to take an active mode of transportation to school. San Mateo County communities support this initiative with infrastructure that provides safe passage for children. 

Mission 

San Mateo County Safe Routes to School 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, which result in less traffic congestion and emissions caused by school-related travel.

Check out the information below for encouraging safe and active transportation in your school or district

Students can play our Star Wars themed virtual escape room, Baby Yoda's Safe Journey, and learn how to navigate the streets safely on foot or by bike.

County-Wide Events

Safe Routes to School supports schools and districts in facilitating the following events. Interested in hosting an event at your school? Sign up to receive free resources and remember to share your event participation data.

Weekly/Monthly Events

Schools that have had success with special events often expand them into regular activities that occur on a regular basis, such as "Wednesday Walk to School" or "Walk and Roll (i.e., Bike) Day." Walking school buses, bicycle trains, and park and walk activities are all ongoing encouragement activities. These weekly and monthly events help to institutionalize positive behaviors and multiply the benefits of the activities, enabling walking and biking to become the preferred mode of travel from home to school.

Safe Routes to School Grant Application

The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) coordinates the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects for elementary, intermediate and high schools. The overall San Mateo County SRTS Program goal is to enable and encourage students to walk or bicycle to school by implementing projects and activities to improve health, reduce traffic congestion, and educate students on taking an active mode of transportation to school. Since 2011, well over 100 schools have participated in the SRTS Grant Program. Parent surveys have revealed a number of reasons why parents choose to drive their children to school, which include: perceptions of unsafe road conditions, distance, convenience, and the age and overall safety of their children. Safe Routes to School programs address a number of these obstacles. 

For the 2023-2024 school year, funding for the San Mateo County SRTS Program will be provided by Measure W, through the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. Funding may only be used for small capital infrastructure and special projects on or near public school sites. (Opportunities for education and encouragement are available through the SRTS Services Application.) This is a competitive grant and all projects will be evaluated, scored, and ranked against others submitted in this Grant Proposal call for projects. Funding is for public school districts/schools in San Mateo County.

Access the Grant Application HERE. Applications are due no later than June 27, 2023.

Resources

Reserving the Bike Blender

A bike blender is a bike pedal-powered blender. They are a great tool to reward participation in Safe Routes to School Program activities, teach about health and wellness, and enhance Safe Routes to School education and encouragement activities. To reserve our bike blender, send an email to srts@smcoe.org.

Safe Routes to School Parent and Community Empowerment Toolkit

The Safe Routes to School Parent and Community Empowerment Toolkit is available for download.

Safe Routes to School Walk + Roll Guidebook 

The Safe Routes to School Walk + Roll Guidebook is available for download.

Safe and Supportive Schools Travel Kit

The Safe Routes to School Safe and Supportive Schools Travel Kit is available for download.

Past Events

Bike to Work Day - May 19, 2023

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

Bike to School Day: May 3, 2023

Join cyclists from around the nation in celebration of National Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 4th! 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.

Earth Day: Week of April 16, 2023

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 a calendar with ideas 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. Explore the SRTS Earth Month Calendar!

Crossing Guard Appreciation Week - March 2023

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. 

Golden Sneaker Events: February 2023 - March 2023

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.

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day: November 14, 2022

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. Click HERE for the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day website or go to www.tinyurl.com/RubyBridgesWalk

International Walk to School Day: October 12, 2022

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

Pedestrian Safety Month: September 2022

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.

School Travel Fellowship

San Mateo County cities/municipalities are invited to apply to be part of the 2023 School Travel Fellowship! The School Travel Fellowship (STF) is a project of the San Mateo County Office of Education Safe Routes to School program and San Mateo County Health Policy and Planning (HPP). The STF is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and San Mateo County HPP.

The STF creates an opportunity for cities to partner with their respective schools to support safe and active student travel. City/school teams must include a city planner or traffic engineer and a representative from the identified school(s). Additional team members may include an elected official, a community based organization or business near the identified school(s), and any other pertinent stakeholders. Teams will receive technical assistance from Alta Planning + Design and workshops on various topics related to active student travel. Additionally, teams may receive non-permanent quick build materials for pop ups/demonstration projects, walk audits and walk/bike route maps for identified schools. Five cities and their identified schools will be selected for 2023. The School Travel Fellowship will begin in February 2023. Please see the application or flyer for more information. The deadline to apply is January 19^th. The application can be found here – https://tinyurl.com/STFapplication23 and on the Safe Routes to School web page – www.smcoe.org/srts  Only city/municipality staff may turn in application for the fellowship.

Click HERE to see projects that were completed during the 2021-2022 School Travel Fellowship.

 An info session will be held on Wednesday, December 20^th from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

Info Session Zoom Link – https://tinyurl.com/STF2023

Ruby Bridges Walk to School - Poster Contest Entries 2022