Safe Routes to School
5th grade students at Merrick-Moore Elementary participating in a Bicycle Safety Course
Bike Durham’s Safe Routes to School Program
Through a contract with Durham County government and Durham Public Schools, Bike Durham provides bike riding and walking safety training courses in Physical Education classes at Durham public elementary schools. Last year, we had the resources to provide classes to 2,200 students in 17 schools - just over half the schools in the system!
We also support schools, parents, and students in holding Walk, Bike, & Roll to School day activities. We have seen how ‘small’ events, such as Walk & Roll to School Days, can bring communities and elected officials together to commit to improving safety for all by creating safe access to schools for walking and biking, which enhance the entire community’s quality of life.
Read about the history of Bike Durham’s Safe Routes to School program in this blog post.
Students and teachers participating in Walk and Bike to School day on October 29, 2021.
October is Walk & Roll to School Month
October is National Walk & Roll to School Month and more than 10,000 students, parents, school officials and local leaders across Durham will join the celebration which highlights the importance of safer, more active transportation for youth in their local communities. Wednesday, October 9th has been designated as National Walk & Roll to School Day. “Walk & Roll to School Day inspires schools and entire communities to celebrate safety, health and active transportation,” said Nancy Pullen-Seufert, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the coordinating agency for the event.
Encouragement events are one pillar of Safe Routes To School programming and Durham Public Schools (DPS) will participate in Walk & Roll to School Day activities throughout October. Bike Durham partners with DPS to help organize and promote events at individual schools throughout the month.
Walk and Roll to School events celebrate physical activity, promote sustainable travel, and strengthen social connections between families, schools, and the broader community. Some DPS schools participate by encouraging their students and families to walk, bike, and roll to school together at a set time, while other schools host an event within their campus.
Elementary schools hosting off-campus events typically gather between 7:00 and 7:15 so they can travel to school for the 7:45 bell time. Many schools arrange for modified school bus routes so that bus riders can participate as well:
October 9: Holt Elementary is hosting an off-campus event for the first time, gathering along Valley Drive and walking and biking to school.
October 9: Club Boulevard Elementary gathering at Northgate Park
October 9: Lakewood Elementary gathering at Scrap Exchange
October 9: Glenn Elementary walk around the school
October 11: E.K. Powe Elementary gathering at Oval Park
October 11: Pearsontown Elementary gathering at Solite Park
October 16: Merrick-Moore Elementary walk around the school
October 18: Burton Elementary walk around the school
October 18: Fayetteville Street Elementary (more information below)
October 29th: Hope Valley Elementary gathering at Colonial Townhomes and Epworth Church
October 31st: Eastway Elementary gathering at ‘old’ Save A Lot
Additional schools celebrating throughout the month include Morehead Elementary School and Hope Valley Elementary School.
Please contact us if you are interested in helping to plan an event at your school in October 2024.
Additional Resources
For more info about Safe Routes to School: http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/
Check the benefits of Safe Routes to School, according to the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/policy/hst/hi5/saferoutes/index.html
For help planning Walk & Bike to School events, contact us and visit: https://www.walkbiketoschool.org
For more information about Bike Durham’s Safe Routes to School program, or to invite us to your school, please contact us at saferoutes@bikedurham.org.