Safe Routes to Schools

Transform works in partnership with the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools Program to help students and families experience the liberation and joy of active and shared transportation.

In partnership with

Safe Routes to Schools gets youth excited about walking, rolling, carpooling, and taking public transit.

The Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) movement started in the U.S. in the 1990s and has had support from federal and local programs to improve infrastructure and provide programs to make it safer and more appealing for students to walk, roll, and take transit to school.

The Alameda County SR2S program started in 2006 with a pilot run by Transform, and has grown to serve almost 300 schools across the county. The program has the goals of building healthy kids, safer streets, and strong communities. The Alameda County Transportation Commission funds and administers the program while Transform handles implementation through site coordination.

SR2S prioritizes equity schools for extra services and strives to meet students and families where they are. Our programs are designed to educate and inspire, showing youth what they can do to support a green transportation future.

Objectives

Safe Routes to Schools aims to introduce young people to the joy of walking, rolling, and taking public transit. We show families new ways for children to get to school, connect community members for shared rides and bike trains, and inspire the next generation to get out a roll.

Implementation

Transform works with the Alameda County Transportation Commission to implement Safe Routes to Schools programs. We run several big events during the school year, as well as smaller, ongoing programs. Events are:

International Walk & Roll to School Day
Reboot Your Commute
Golden Sneaker Contest
Bike to School Day

Champions make the magic happen

It takes a village to put on the fun events that SR2S sponsors. We work with parents, teachers, and administrators to bring programs to elementary, middle, and high schools throughout Alameda County. Our high school program, through the Youth Task Force, develops student transportation leadership, using peer-to-peer education to encourage the use of active and shared transportation.

Since Transform first piloted Safe Routes to Schools in Alameda County in 2006, we’ve served thousands of youth.

Transform’s Safe Routes events get students excited about active, healthy transportation options. Since our inception, we’ve greatly expanded the number of schools we serve and the number of students, parents, and school staff involved in this popular programming.

295+

Schools in Alameda County participate in Safe Routes

90+

Walking school buses and bike trains each school year

175

Schools held special events with the help of the Safe Route program

Sponsors and Partners

Safe Routes to Schools wouldn’t be possible without the commitment of the Alameda County Transportation Commission to encouraging youth to adopt active transportation. Our program is part of a national and international movement to ensure that young people can get safely to and from school.

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