SDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program encourages physical activity through walking and bicycling. We support this effort by funding engineering improvements and education campaigns at public and private schools throughout Seattle. In 2015, we launched our Safe Routes to School 5-Year Action Plan for Seattle. To make sure we’re meeting our action plan goals, we released the first annual report, for the 2015-16 school year.
One of the highlights is a new program called “Let’s Go” with Seattle Public Schools and Cascade Bicycle Club. Over the next seven years, every 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade public school student will learn how to safely walk and bike during PE class. It’s the first such program in the country!
Since September 2015, we’ve completed 18 engineering projects at schools throughout the city (beating our goal of 9 to 12 projects last year), including:
- New paved trail next to Mercer Middle School
- New sidewalks near Sacajawea and Viewland Elementary Schools
- Safer crosswalks near South Shore K-8 and Jane Addams Middle School
We held our first annual SRTS Kickoff event at Cedar Park, where we had a helmet giveaway, DJ and dancing, raffles, story time with Lake City Library, healthy snacks, a bike rodeo, and information on safe walking/biking routes and upcoming projects in the nearby area.
Teaching kids about bike safety at our SRTS kickoff event.
Check out the report to see what else we accomplished through the Safe Routes to School program this past year!