Safe Routes Updates & Events

Bike Rodeo

Want to learn to ride a bike? Our bike team can teach you.

Come put your riding skills to the test on our bike skills course. Don't have a bike? We've got you! Our youth bike fleet will be available to use.

Saturday, March 30th
11am-2pm at Davis Park
404 NE 194th Ave., Rockwood
Rain or shine!

Fall 2023 Update

A person in a green and white dragon mascot suit stands next to a black dog with a yellow bandana in front of a sign-up table at a school building.

Safe Routes to School had a fantastic summer, teaching pedestrian safety lessons for all students in Centennial, Gresham Barlow, and Reynolds school districts. We also tabled at outreach events and held a bike rodeo in partnership with the City of Gresham.

We held an exciting event with Wilkes Elementary SUN program, as we honored Hispanic Heritage in a parade that included Folkloric and Aztec dancers! 

For the fall, we are supporting Walk and Roll to School events, as well as ongoing pedestrian safety lessons in PE classes.

We appreciate the Gresham Police, who helped us safely cross Halsey for our Wilkes event, and included their therapy dog for our Davis Elementary Walk to School Event!

With the daylight decreasing each week, we want to remind everyone to drive safely in school zones.

Spring 2023 Update

Two children's hands, one with red nail polish and the other with a black wrist brace, reach out to pick up pencils with the Walk and Roll logo, from a pile of pencils on a table surrounded by Walk and Roll stickers of different shapes and sizes.

The Winter and Spring of 2023 was a busy time for the East Multnomah County Safe Routes to School program.

In partnership with bike works by p:ear, the City of Portland and the City of Gresham, we provided pedestrian safety lessons at 11 East County schools to over 2,400 students.  We had 9 Walk and Roll to School events with over 500 participants. We also provided bike helmets and other goodies at several community events.

We had fun installing a new Traffic Playground at bike works!

Our RTO grant with Metro was renewed for a part time coordinator through 2026, and we will be teaching pedestrian safety lessons at summer schools for Centennial, Reynolds, and Gresham Barlow School Districts.

Ruby Bridges Walk to School 2022

A man and a woman with two young children, all wearing orange safety vests, smile while holding up hand-drawn pictures of a woman.
Wilkes Elementary family with hand-held posters created by SUN students.

This fall the Safe Routes to School team supported fall walk and roll to school events, including three Ruby Bridges walks!

Ruby Bridges was the first African-American child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana during the New Orleans school desegregation crisis on November 14, 1960.  Her story has inspired schools to honor her bravery with an annual Walk to School Day, supported by Safe Routes to School.

Three East County schools participated in a Ruby Bridges walk event:  Butler Creek Elementary, Meadows Elementary, and Wilkes Elementary. The afterschool SUN coordinators championed the walks, and the SRTS program created maps and flyers for school wide distribution.  

We look forward to ongoing efforts to encourage walking and rolling to school, promoting health, safety, and equity for our east County families. 

A cartoon-style drawing of a fox in purple rainboots, a raincoat and hat standing next to a robot in a bright pink wheelchair with a scarf and an umbrella.

Back to School 2022

We are excited that schools are back in session!

We are looking forward to a busy year of events and lessons, and have started reaching out to schools for fall Walk and Roll events.

And don't forget to share these safety videos with your family - in Arabic, Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Summer 2022 Update

The Multnomah County SRTS Program is launching into summer and is ready to support your school with SRTS resources and programming. We have educational and encouragement materials to get students excited about walking, biking, and rolling to and from schools!

If you are interested in participating, please connect with MaryJo at maryjo.andersen@multco.us. The East Multnomah County SRTS program is a collaboration between schools, community members, and multiple agencies.

Davis Elementary Walk to School Event - June 7, 2022

In partnership with Safe Routes to School, Davis Elementary (Go Dragons!) held a walk-to-school event on June 7, 2022.

On a beautiful spring day, Davis Elementary School held their first Safe Routes to School walk event since 2019!  School staff met families for the walk. About 85 people attended the event. Special guests Reynolds District Superintendent, Dr. Danna Diaz, and Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Christopher Ortiz joined the fun.

Rockwood Bike Ride - May 21, 2022

Gresham celebrated bike month with a community bike ride in the Rockwood area on May 21st. The bike ride started on a beautiful spring day at Kirk Park on NE Multnomah St. The group of 12 riders explored the bicycle-friendly routes on the new Gresham Greenway. Some of the younger and less experienced riders were able to practice “taking the lane” and riding with traffic, a huge milestone for them!

The route included some friendly goats and a visit to the new Rockwood Market Hall. The group explored the new space and delicious food. The ride was a collaboration between bike works by p:ear, the City of Gresham, and Multnomah County Office of Sustainability and Safe Routes to School.  
 

Cartoon drawing of fox in purple sneakers and earth t-shirt standing next to robot in wheelchair with earth flag. Top says, "Celebrate Earth Month! featuring Strider and Viv". Bottom is logo that says "Walk and Roll: Oregon Safe Routes to School"..

Spring 2022 Updates

The Multnomah County Safe Routes to School program is gearing up for spring and is ready to support your school with SRTS resources. We have plenty of educational and encouragement materials to get kids excited about walking, biking, and rolling to and from schools! Our team can help your school address traffic concerns by creating a site circulation map to show pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers the routes to and from school. By sharing our video about Safe Routes to School you are able to encourage drivers to watch out for kids walking, biking, and rolling. To plan your own April Earth Month event, reach out to MaryJo, who can provide how-tos and tips.

Site Circulation Maps

Our team supported Butler Creek Elementary and Hollydale Elementary by creating easy-to-read site circulation maps to help parents navigate the school arrival and dismissal area. These maps identify walking routes walking and nearby parks that can be distributed to students, parents, and community members. They also help to identify bike parking, crossing guards, and marked crosswalks around the school.

Safe Routes to Schools Multilingual Video Series

A stylized graphic of two kids crossing the street in front of a school. It says above, "Hey, drivers! School routes are everywhere. Let's keep our kids safe."

Share the new and improved site circulation safety videos with families and facilities. These videos urge parents to keep an eye out for little ones and stay attentive to the rules of the road. Sending out this video is an outstanding way to get parents to pledge to safe driving around school areas. 

April is Earth Month

April is Earth Month, which means it's time to encourage green options and sustainability. Our activities and incentives seek to reduce waste while keeping the encouragement fun. Check our toolkit if you are interested in participating and don’t forget to connect with MaryJo.