The good folks who bring you the “Safer Routes to School” program in Portland are also sponsoring this panel:
Monday, NOV 16TH, 10:30 AM – Noon
Panel Discussion: Promoting Active Transportation at School – Successes and Lessons Learned
Location: NORTH PORTLAND LIBRARY BRANCH (512 N Killingsworth St)
Develop new ideas for successful active transportation at your school and problem-solve approaches to overcoming challenges!
Please join Safe Routes to School on November 16th (Monday) for this engaging panel discussion. Three parent volunteers will each share their experiences in promoting biking and walking at their schools, followed by a Q&A period.
Panelists and topics:
– Meg Hagan, Laurelhurst K-7 – Creating Laurelhurst’s “alternative transportation week” and securing impressive levels of student participation.
– Anne Laufe, Roseway Heights K-8 – Building enthusiasm among students and families, and leading by example.
– Laurie Paulsen, Beach PK-8 – The bike fairy, friendly rivals and dedicated teachers: Ingredients for walking and biking success.
Coffee, pastries and fruit will be provided.
More info here.
8 responses to “Active Transportation Panel”
Has anyone yet blasted PPS for their plan to “temporarily” relocate the Marysville K-8 School students to the Rose City Park building five miles away?
I’m sure that will do wonders for reducing the number of parents driving their kids to school and for increasing the number of student-multi-modal school commutes!
Jason, is it really fair to blast them when they’re doing an emergency relocation after a fire? I’m not sure how many options they had…
I think kids should engage in “Active Transportation.” Living right across from Sellwood School I have noticed that the trend over the years seems to have been for kids to be driven to school by their parents.
Ron, you bring up a good point.
One of the biggest casualties of school budget cuts has been busing–specialized transit for schoolchildren. In our school district, if you live within a mile of the school, then no bus for you–unless you have to cross a major highway or something.
For older children, a mile walk (assuming the neighborhood is safe) isn’t a big deal, but for smaller children, such decisions invariably result in a squadron of minivans at the school gates each morning and afternoon.
People are succumbing to unrealistic fears if they think little Suzy is going to get kidnapped on her way to school. Chances are, she’s going to get in a car accident being taken to school rather than something really bad like being kidnapped or whatever occurring.
People need to stop watching local news and being afraid of these sensational headlines. No, your neighbor is probably not manufacturing meth in his basement, but watch an episode of local news and one believes otherwise!
I’m not saying there’s zero problems with kids walking to school, which there is. But let’s be realistic here, it’s safer for a kid to walk down a Manhatten street than it is for them to walk in some of their residential-only cut-off cul-de-sac neighborhoods.
Jacob’s “eyes on the streets” is such a true model.
I worry more about little Suzy being run over by a car than about her being grabbed by a stranger, to be honest.
But just think–public school bussing is one more cost of sprawl. Why did “bussing” become synonymous with court-mandated integration in the 50s and 60s? Because before the relevant court decisions–children walked to neighborhood schools, and bussing was only necessary when it was deemed essential to scramble the demographics in the name of equality. (And the unfortunate side effect, it seems, was to hasten white flight–as Suburban School District was not subject to the court order that applied to Big City Public Schools).
relocate the Marysville K-8 School students to the Rose City Park building
According to an Oregonian reporter, Rose City is ready to go for students and nearby Kellogg is not. But on the upside, the bus service could mean that some parents will no longer be driving their kids to school.
public school bussing is one more cost of sprawl
I don’t have that on the list of subsidies I’ve done, but I’ll have to add it. After all, longer distances and busier arterials often make suburbs less walkable, unless a child lives right near the school. In addition, there’s the fact that in cities students have more of an option to take transit and not needing separate school buses.
Also, on a related note, there was a presentation given at this morning’s TriMet board briefing about the high school transit pass program. I believe they said that 25% of morning congestion is because of parents dropping off students, that behavioral issues haven’t been a problem (at least yet) and that Portland is going towards more focus schools, meaning that less students will attend their neighborhood one. Transit isn’t as active as walking or biking but it’s at least better than getting dropped off, especially if the driver deadheads the other way.
I should probably clarify that I’m not blasting PPS, simply asking if anyone had yet.
Jason, I heard the 25% figure this morning as well. And it sounds like there are some real concerns about keeping the program going if the Business Energy Tax Credit program is eliminated/changed.