San Luis Obispo Regional Rideshare

Two successful Safe Routes to School Workshops were held in October 2007 in Grover Beach. Citizens, educators, community administrators and leaders heard from Grover Beach Mayor Pro Tem John Shoals, YMCA CEO Jenifer Rynes, and Hawthorne Elementary School parent and bicycle advocate Rod Hoadly, and learned about the history of Safe Routes to School, components of the program including the "5 E's" and both nationwide and local case studies. Additionally, information was provided regarding state, federal and local grant opportunities.

State Grant Funding ($26.8 Million): Applications currently under review
Federal Grant Funding ($46 Million): Call for project expected in February 2008

Getting to School
More and more, K-12 students are arriving to school by car instead of taking the bus, walking or biking. Less than half of children between 9 and 15 who live within a mile of their school walk or bike. You might notice when schools in session you experience more congestion. As a matter of fact, 20% of the traffic in the morning has been contributed to parents dropping off their children.

Make It Safe
All this school traffic makes getting to school even more dangerous for children who do walk or bike. For instance, 50% of children who are hit by cars near schools are hit by cars driven by parents of other students. A successful safe routes to school program encourages less traffic, enforces traffic rules around schools, and educates parents and students about getting to school safely.

Make it Healthy
Obesity is a major concern nationally and in San Luis Obispo County. Locally, one in four preschoolers is overweight. Promoting walking and bicycling as a way to get to and from school can help to change sedentary behavior. Air pollution, primarily from motor vehicle exhaust is also extremely damaging to childrens' health. Lung capacity normally increases until the late teens or early twenties and then declines gradually as we age. Damage to lung capacity that occurs during this critical time causes children to have a smaller peak capacity. Reducing traffic really does make a difference. During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, single occupant vehicles were banned downtown. The result? Morning traffic dropped 22% and Asthma related incidences in children dropped 42%. How dirty is our air? Find out.

There are lots of ways to encourage children and families to make walking and biking to school fun. During May and June parents and community agencies gathered to develope the first Safe Routes Days at Hawthorne Elementary in San Luis Obispo. Their efforts were a huge success; 61% of the students arrived by biking, walking, skating or carpooling with other students. Find out more about their program. Harloe Elementary School in Arroyo Grande had a Walking School Bus from nearby Fair Oaks Park. The lead up to the event included a "name the Walking School Bus" contest. Read the article from a local news station here.

Safe Routes to School
The Safe Routes to School program is a national and international movement to enable and encourage elementary and middle school children to walk and bicycle to school. Through the use of the "5 Es" (Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Engineering and Evaluation), programs and projects are being developed to create a safe, appealing environment for walking and biking to school encouraging healthy and active lifestyles. Safe Routes to School programs also enrich the quality of children’s lives and benefits communities by implementing projects and activities that will reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and enhance neighborhood safety.

Get Your School Involved
San Luis Obispo Regional Rideshare provides Safe Routes to School to help parents, principals and the community start individual programs for communities and schools. We have resources such as instructional booklets, brochures, parent surveys, maps, and reflective vests that we can share with your school. We can also visit your school and provide free Bicycle Safety Assemblies and Bicycle Rodeos your students. Contact the Rideshare bike coordinator and start a program at your school.

There are many local, state, and national organizations devoted to getting kids and families out of cars and into a healthier lifestyle. Links to some of these programs are listed here.

School Pool
Perhaps you live too far from your child’s school and they are unable to safely walk or bike. You now have an easy way to support Safe Routes to School with the new online School Pool program. Parents instantly can match up with other parents looking to reduce the unnecessary trip to school. Parents enter their child’s school district, school, arrival time. This secure system provides parents a way to share the ride and improve traffic conditions, air quality and safety around their school.

> SchoolPool Registration