Welcome to your Safe Routes to Schools website!
What is the Safe Routes to School program?
Safe Routes to School is a program that makes it easier, safer and more fun to walk and bike to school.
In January 2009, Santa Clarita kicked off a $300,000 Safe Routes to School Program. In collaboration with Alta Planning + Design, the City of Santa Clarita will bring exciting contests, biking and walking safety classes, and increased enforcement to schools around the City. Santa Clarita’s Safe Routes to School program is based on a nationally-recognized model that uses the “Four E’s:” education, encouragement, engineering and enforcement. Over the 18-month program, the City will develop the following programs:
Education - four pilot schools will receive walking and biking safety classes
Look for a Toolkit outlining common problems and solutions
Encouragement – Safe Routes will bring fun contests and games to schools to support walking and biking, Safe Routes will advertise and support special events, such as walk and bike to work day
Engineering – physical improvements to sidewalks, intersections and paths will make it safer and easier for children to walk and bike to school, walking audits will be conducted at elementary schools to identify infrastructure problems
Enforcement – Safe Routes will collaborate with the Sherriff’s Department to increase enforcement of traffic laws around schools
Why walk and bike to school?
- It’s healthy: kids who walk and bike to school have more energy and are more likely to have a healthy weight
- It relieves traffic congestion: 20% of all traffic congestion is school-related
- It’s good for the environment: less driving means less pollution
- It’s good for the community: you get to know your neighbors
- It’s good for the family: parents and kids get to spend quality time together on the way to school
- It’s fun!
How can I get involved?
Thank you for taking an interest in this program! Your involvement makes this program successful. Click here for ways you can get involved.
