Enhancing walking routes to Seattle schools is a priority for SDOT. Since the Safe Routes to School program was created in 2007 (thanks to Bridging the Gap), we’ve improved walking routes to more than 25 elementary schools. To complement upgrades to the walking environment, we work with local schools to provide pedestrian safety education and training for students.
Over the last year, Safe Routes to School has been working with teachers, staff, and students at Van Asselt Elementary on Beacon Hill. The partnership led to sidewalk repairs along Beacon Avenue S – a designated school walking route for children – and improvements to school zone and crosswalk signage.
With sidewalk repairs completed during summer vacation, the focus of the program shifted to pedestrian safety education for the school’s second grade classes. The goal is to provide students with the knowledge they need to be safe when walking and encourage students to walk to school. Students will receive a total of six educational sessions over the course of the school year.
Part of the educational experience is to take the pedestrian skills learned in the classroom and apply them to the real world environment outside of the school. Earlier this month our Safe Routes team took students at Van Asselt out on the newly repaired sidewalks and enhanced crosswalks to practice their pedestrian safety skills.
Van Asselt students walk on the recently repaired sidewalk on Beacon
See our website for more information about Safe Routes to School.