Connecting Residents with Active Transportation in Hayward

Thanks to a grant from the California Air Resources Board, Transform and our partners are working with the City of Hayward to help more residents get around by biking and walking. We’re still early in the project, but we’re starting to see results.

The City of Hayward has already gotten bikes into the hands of Hayward residents. The first event was in October, and the city is planning on hosting many more public events for students and residents to pick up their bikes.

Community assessments

In keeping with Transform’s mission to lift up underrepresented voices, we conducted surveys to assess unmet active transportation needs.

We were pleased to learn that some students are already using bikes to get around, demonstrating a strong interest in active transportation when access allows. However, for students who did not have a bike, the most common barrier was cost. Financial limitations continue to prevent students from accessing reliable transportation options.

Among students who owned a bike but were not riding regularly, maintenance issues — such as flat tires, broken brakes, or lack of basic repairs — were primary reasons their bikes went unused. These challenges underscore the importance of pairing infrastructure investments with education, equipment, and hands-on support.

Addressing these gaps is a core goal of the Hayward Rides project. By combining bikes, maintenance support, and safe infrastructure, Transform and its partners are working to remove barriers and make biking a realistic, reliable option for students who want to ride.

The City of Hayward has worked with a local bike shop to build bikes for Hayward residents. Transform identified a handful of students from Tennyson High School to receive the bikes.

Infrastructure awareness

Making the transition from driving to walking or biking also means finding new routes where traffic is calmer and there’s more infrastructure. Part of Transform’s work in this project will be to educate residents about new crosswalks and safe bike routes. Finding the best route to a destination can greatly increase the likelihood that someone will successfully adopt biking as their preferred travel mode.

Transform has partnered closely with the City of Hayward to gather input from school administrators and community members during the planning phase of infrastructure improvements at ten Hayward Unified schools: Burbank, Faith Ringgold, Longwood, Martin Luther King Jr., Park, Schafer Park, Southgate, Tennyson, Tyrrell, Winton, and Palma Ceia. This community-informed approach ensures that upcoming changes reflect real needs and everyday travel patterns.

At the same time, Transform’s programs team has been working inside these ten infrastructure schools to build excitement, connection, and a culture of walking and rolling. Through events like International Walk and Roll to School Day, the Ruby Bridges Walk and Roll Day, and other recurring monthly activities, students and families are becoming more comfortable getting around by walking and rolling.

The goal is simple and powerful: when infrastructure improvements are complete, schools receiving these upgrades should see even higher rates of walking and rolling, turning temporary events into lasting, healthy habits.

Next steps in Hayward

Looking ahead, Transform is preparing for the next phase of the Hayward Rides program by deepening our engagement with families and the broader community. A key focus will be working with parents to recruit and support parent leaders who can facilitate community walk and roll events. These efforts will be especially important once infrastructure improvements are complete in fall 2026, helping ensure that new investments translate into lasting changes in how families travel.

Transform also plans to partner with the City of Hayward at community events to share bike safety education and active transportation resources.