Safe Routes to School Programs

A walking school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults. That may sound simple, and that is part of the appeal. It can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as structured as a planned route with meeting points, a timetable and a schedule of trained volunteers. 

1) Engage: Hold a meeting with perspective walking bus drivers and have them fill out a questionnaire to determine if they are interested in participating. Hold a “kick-off” meeting with parents to explain what the program is and how they can sign their student up to participate.

2) Collect Driver Location Data to Determine Routes: From the interested parents, determine where they live and where the logical location for the routes should be.

3) Create Route Maps: Work with the City of Phoenix School Safety Coordinator to determine where the best routes would be to create route maps.

4) Create a Pick-Up/Drop-Off Schedule:  Once the maps are created, set up a pick-up/drop-off schedule for each route.

5) Train the Drivers: The City of Phoenix School Safety Coordinator will help to train Walking School Bus Drivers about pedestrian safety and driver basics. This could include any policies and procedures that the school district has requested.

6) Send Out Notices to Parents: These notices will provide a brief explanation of the program and offer parents the chance to register their student and register themselves as volunteer Walking School Bus Drivers. They also could choose a route for their child or children.

7) Start Small and Build Up the Program: Starting with one route and adding more as needed will allow your program a chance to grow at a manageable pace. It also allows time for adjustments to the program if needed. 

Some suggested supplies:

1.  Student  roster list

2.  Clipboard

3.  Pens or pencils

4.  Safety Vest

5.  Pair of shoes

6.  Hat

7.  Sunscreen

8.  Water bottle

9.  Route Map and time schedule 

What is a bicycle train? A variation on the Walking School Bus is a bicycle train where a group of children and adult leaders ride together to school. A bicycle train offers a safe, fun way to ride as a group. Because of the equipment involved and the potential need to ride on a road, planning and conducting a bicycle train is more involved than having a walking school bus.  Basic considerations:

• Bicycle trains are best suited for older elementary children. 

• All riders must wear bicycle helmets.

• Before starting the program, providing children with practice and training on bicycle handling and rules of the road is recommended. 

• More adult supervision is needed than for walking. One adult for every three to six children is recommended.  

Meet with the school

Become engaged with the parents and faculty to determine interest in starting a Bike Train Program with School Administration first. Share with them the benefits and fun to be had by students if this program was started. Getting support from the administration level is a good way to sustain the program.  Reach out to other staff members to find out who supports biking and would be willing to help.

Implementation and sign-up

Once the interest level is determined, put together an outreach campaign for parents and students to take part in the Bike Train.   Work with the school to create a flier and an information packet about your Bike Train Program.  Create sign-up sheets for students and place them around the school.  Set a start date for the program so you have a group of students to start with. Talk to other parents who are bike riders at the school to get them to join the cause. Once you have the sign-up sheets, with the City of Phoenix School Safety Coordinator to create routes and route maps for the Bike Train.

Getting it off the ground

Advertise a “Kick-off” meeting for parent “Engineers”. Discuss the procedures and guidelines for the program that the school has created. Have the parents pick their routes. They also can advertise the program to other parents who might be interested. Have a “Kick-off” assembly with students. Invite the Phoenix School Safety Coordinator, Bike Coordinator, Police and Fire staff to attend and provide safety information to students. Promote the Bike Train and when it will start. Also invite students to sign up if they hadn’t already. 

Some suggested items:

Bike Helmets

Working Bikes

Portable Bike Pump (battery operated)

Small Set of Tools Safety Vest (for adults)

Clipboard  Checklist of students

Folder (for additional permission slips from new riders)

Pen or Pencils

Route Map (for reference)

Bike Stop Pick-up

Schedule Water Bottle