Community

Whether your children walk to school, your husband bikes to work, or you drive to the grocery store, we all want our streets and walkways to be safe here in Spokane. Stickman wants to provide our community with the tools needed to make everyone safe regardless of how we travel.  Read here for more practical ideas on how to personally make your property pedestrian and bike friendly for you and your neighbors, as well as, how to help organize a local Walk to School Day with your community school.  There are so many ways we can individually contribute to make our community safer and healthier, so join your neighbors and learn what Stickman Knows!

Here’s what residents can do to help encourage safe walking and biking to school among students:

1. Keep sidewalks clear so they are passable by students walking to school.

2. Prune plants and shrubs to enhance visibility. This will have students see their surroundings.

3. Keep unleashed pets off the sidewalk. A barking or growling dog on a sidewalk can be extremely scary or dangerous for a young child.

4. While driving, watch for, and yield to, pedestrians and bicyclists near and around the school.

5. Obey speed limits for the school zone.

6. Come to a complete stop at stop signs.

7. Do not block pedestrian crosswalks.

Click here to download free material for a DOOR HANGER!

Because walk and bike to School Day events are held for so many reasons, there are many people who might want to be part of them. Depending on the goals of the event, there may be strategic reasons to get certain people involved. Parents, the school principal and law enforcement officers can contribute in many ways in all stages of the event. Community stakeholders can be valuable partners by providing information, resources and connections to help plan and carry out a fun and strategic event. The event is likely to have a long-term impact on the community.  About 3 out of 4 event organizers surveyed reported that their event led to changes to policies or the built environment. Read the list below for ideas on who to involve and how.

School Principal

Obtaining the approval of the school principal is critical for any walking or biking event. Their approval helps get others in the community on board and will make it easier to communicate with students and families.  Many principals are willing to go the extra mile to make the event memorable.  Explore ideas of fun things principals can do to participate in a walk or bike to school event and ways to engage them in the planning.

Parents

Parent involvement is critical to the success of walking and biking to school events. They decide whether or not their children will participate. They can also help spread the word, encourage other families to walk or bicycle and contribute assistance on the day of your event.

Public Officials

Schools across the U.S. have gotten sidewalks fixed and new trails built because they engaged public officials and other community leaders during their event. Walk and bike to school celebrations give
community leaders the opportunity to publicly support health, environment and safety initiatives.

Law Enforcement

Even if traffic safety is not a concern at your school, there are many reasons to reach out to local law enforcement officers and ask for help with your event. Law enforcement escorts, crossing guards, or a
law enforcement presence can help everyone feel good about the event. Their knowledge of nearby traffic patterns can be useful in planning walking and bicycling routes. Their involvement can also set up a good working relationship for future activities.

School Champions

Is there someone at the school who is already working on improving walking and biking routes in the community? Is there someone who regularly leads or contributes to initiatives like this? If so, get this
person involved.

Partners and Sponsors

Schools around the country have reached out to local businesses and other community groups for help with walk or bike to school day. A local grocery store may donate fruit or other healthy snacks for students, or a local business may recruit employees to lead a walking group. Remember young adults, too. Some elementary and middle schools recruit high school and college students to help.

For more detailed information about involving community, go to the International Walk to School site from Safe Routes to School.

Walking and biking events may be a good fit for businesses and employers because they have a positive, healthy message and reach a relatively large number of families.

Here are places you might solicit for sponsorship or support and what they might contribute:

Grocery Store, Coffee Shop or Bakery

• Refreshments for students and parents when they arrive at school

Office Supply Store

• Paper and/or photocopies for fliers and banners
• School supplies for children's prizes (pencils, erasers, etc.)

Local Businesses

• Publicity for an event by posting a flier in their shop
• Volunteers to help lead walking and biking groups on the day of the event

Sporting Goods, Outdoor or Recreation Store

• Prizes such as sneakers, book bags, hats and reflective materials
• Gear for volunteers and crossing guards such as reflective materials

Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions Clubs or Other Community Service Groups

• Volunteer crossing guards or group leaders
• Hosts of a reception at school

Other Partners

• Involve student leadership groups in the events. Student safety patrols, student government/council, Key Club, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are all great resources for your event. Give them a job such as helping crossing guards assist students across the streets closest to the school. They can serve as the leaders in a bike train (behind an adult leader). Peer leadership goes a long way in setting positive examples for fellow students. Contact your local public health agency, Spokane Regional Health District, to see if they are ready to get involved.
• Contact city or town planners to see what’s underway in your community to promote walking and bicycling.
• Invite high school or college athletes or service groups to join walking and biking parades. See if the high school has service projects that might fit with the event.

Additional Tips:

• Acknowledge local businesses or sponsors who contribute. Thank them publicly in a press release, in keynote talks on the day of the event and in media coverage.  A personal note following the event is a nice touch as well.
• Consider sending your partners a certificate of participation. You may want to award the business with the certificate on the day of the event.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

• OECD Keeping Children Safe in Traffic Report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development draws on best practices and research results to show how child casualties can be reduced. Free executive summary. $45 for full report.
• League of American Bicyclists Bicycle safety and bicycle maintenance education for bicyclists of all levels and ages. Information on how to find Bicycle Education courses taught by League Certified Instructors.
• Safe Kids Walking and bicycling safety tips for parents to teach children.
• Bicyclinginfo Tools and resources for improving bicycle safety including education and enforcement, bicycle parking and a bikeability checklist.
• Walkinginfo Tools and resources for improving pedestrian safety including education and enforcement, pedestrian safety plans, a walkability checklist and crash data.
• American Academy of Pediatrics "About Bicycle Helmets" brochure Describes why children need helmets and how to select one.
• Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute Information about states with helmet laws; studies on bicycle helmet use; and a list of bicycle helmet videos.
• Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls and standards Search on "bike helmets" for benefits of wearing helmets and product recall announcements.
• FHWA Bicycle Safety Education Resource Database Searchable database by audience, riding skill level and bicycling topic.
• FHWA Good Practices Guide for Bicycle Safety Education For program developers or those seeking an existing bicycle safety education program.
• NHTSA: "Ride Smart, It's Time to Start" Video for middle-school students that promotes bicycle helmet use.
• NHTSA: "Be Smart, Bicycle Safe" Bicycle safety video and materials for elementary school children in English and Spanish.
• Florida DOT and University of Florida, Pedestrian & Bicycling Safety Resource Center Resources and information about walking and bicycling for all ages and levels of expertise.
• Hawaii Bicycling League BicycleEd Hawaii Program For 4th grade students in public schools, offers classroom and on-bike instruction with a focus on comprehension of street patterns and acceptable street behavior.
• North Carolina DOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation and the Bicycle Federation of America (now the National Center for Bicycling and Walking), Basics of Bicycling Curriculum Bicycle safety and on-bike handling skills for elementary school children in North Carolina.
• Bicycle Coalition of Maine Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Education Program A 30–50 minute presentation on bicycle and pedestrian safety, adaptable for various grade levels.
• Bicycle Transportation Alliance Bicycle Safety Program Hands-on bicycle safety courses for 4th–7th grade children in Oregon.
• Texas Bicycle Coalition Texas SafeCyclist Curriculum to certify elementary health and physical education teachers to teach 4th and 5th grade students the basics of traffic safety, with emphasis on bicycle riders as vehicle operators.
• NHTSA Safe Routes to School Toolkit, Classroom Activities Designed to assist parents and school personnel with initiating and implementing SRTS programs and includes information for developing pedestrian and bicycle safety curricula and lessons and how to integrate safety education messages into other academic subjects.
• Marin County Bicycle Coalition Safe Routes to School Program Lesson plans on physical fitness, healthy lifestyles and the environment.
• Active and Safe Routes to School Canada, Resource Guide Kindergarten through high school hands-on learning activities covering safety, health and the environment.
• For more free pedestrian and bicyclist safety education curricula available online go to: http://www.walktoschool.org/resources/safety-education.cfm.

Personal Safety

• Center for Missing and Exploited Children Guidelines for Programs to Reduce Child Victimization Provides school personnel, parents and communities with guidance about program elements and messages needed to teach personal safety to children.
• US HRSA Stop Bullying Now Resources for adults and educational messages for children.

Health and Environment

• Let's Move! Campaign First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative to promote physical activity and healthy eating.
• Georgia Clean Air Campaign Classroom activities and information for parents and educators.
• US EPA Environmental Kids Club Classroom activities and information for parents and educators.
• City of Portland Office of Transportation Kids on the Move Curriculum focuses on safety and the impact of vehicle use on the environment. Free and downloadable from the internet.