Portland, Oregon hosted the second annual Safe Routes to Schools conference in August.  It was truly an amazing event to participate in, learning from others throughout the US solutions on how to improve safety for cyclists, reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution in and around our schools. Established in 2005 the Federal Safe Routes to Schools was authorized by Congress to get children back to walking and cycling to schools by reducing the need for parents to drive their children to school. The mission of Chico Velo fits well with the Federal Highway Administration recommendations that the Safe Routes to School programs incorporates what is called the five “E’s” in finding solutions.

The five E’s are as follows: 1 Engineering-Creating operational and physical improvements to the infrastructure surrounding schools that reduce speeds and potential conflicts with motor vehicle traffic, and establish safer and fully accessible crossings, walkways, trails and bikeways. 2. Education-Teaching children about the broad range of transportation choices, instructing them in important lifelong bicycling and walking safety skills and launching driver safety campaigns in the vicinity of schools. 3.Enforcement-Partnering with local law enforcement to insure traffic laws are obeyed in the vicinity of schools this includes enforcement of speeds, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks and proper walking and bicycling behaviors, and initiating community enforcement such as crossing guard programs. 4. Encouragement-Using events and activities to promote walking and bicycling. 5. Evaulation-Monitoring and documenting outcomes and trends through the collection of data, including the collection of data before and after the interventions. The Chico community has a lot of work ahead to bring more SRTS projects into our area.  We are currently working on a State Funded SRTS as seen with the new Tunnel and Bridge through Annie’s Glen.  It is exciting to think of where we are and can go in the future by establishing more Safe Routes to School Programs.*