Safe Routes to School - �ƹ��Ƶ

�ƹ��Ƶ (�ƹ��Ƶ) is releasing a Request for Proposals for vendors! Deadline now extended!

The �ƹ��Ƶ (�ƹ��Ƶ), which collaborates with schools and districts in San Mateo County to coordinate the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, is releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP). The �ƹ��Ƶ Safe Routes to School Program has been funded by the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) since its 2011 inception in San Mateo County. The County Office of Education would like to partner with several organizations that offer SRTS services including, but not limited to, pedestrian and bicycle safety education, bicycle fix it events, SRTS materials, SRTS promotion and encouragement, SRTS classroom lessons, virtual and in-person engagement, and SRTS professional development. These partnerships will enable the �ƹ��Ƶ to offer a variety of SRTS resources to the schools and districts it serves. Service providers that are selected will appear on the approved vendor list.

Please note... All submissions will be considered for the approved vendor list for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. �ƹ��Ƶ Safe Routes to School may only enter into contracts with service providers on the approved list. All service providers must be fingerprinted through �ƹ��Ƶ. Please make sure your application includes a detailed outline/scope of work as to what services you will provide. There are seven areas (see pages 4 & 5) that must be addressed in addition to the required forms, which are attached to the RFP.

The deadline for electronic submissions has been extended from Friday, August 30, 2024 to Friday, September 6th, 2024. Email your application to srts@smcoe.org. If it is to large to email, consider using a free service like

An RFP info session will be held on Thursday, 8/15 from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm. The Zoom link for the RFP info session can be found .

For more information about San Mateo County Safe Routes to School, click HERE.

You can find the RFP, all required forms, and instructions on how to fill out the forms

Safe Routes to School
San Mateo County

Our Mission

San Mateo County Safe Routes to School encourages and enables school children to walk and bicycle to school by implementing projects and activities that improve the health, well-being, and safety of children, which result in less traffic congestion and emissions caused by school-related travel.

Our Vision

The efforts of Safe Routes to School in San Mateo County result in less traffic congestion around schools, improved air quality, a greener, healthier community and an increase in self-reliance among San Mateo County children who walk and bike to school. Safe Routes to School is the catalyst for teaching children traffic safety skills and encouraging them to take an active mode of transportation to school. San Mateo County communities support this initiative with infrastructure that provides safe passage for children.

Why Safe Routes to School?

Today, . (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDCP). Rates of severe childhood obesity are three times higher than they were 30 years ago, putting children at higher risk of premature death and several chronic diseases (CDCP). Converting more school trips to walking and biking is a cost-effective way to reduce peak period congestion and improve local air quality. 20% to 30% of morning rush hour traffic can be attributed to parents driving their children to school. School children and employees are exposed to higher levels of pollutants associated with increased asthma rates and other respiratory problems when these vehicles sit idling during pick-up and drop-off periods.

The Safe Routes to School program provides training, resources, and customized support at no cost to participating schools. It does so by working with districts and school administrations, wellness coordinators, parents, teachers, and local community-based organizations to encourage over 47,000 San Mateo County students to be active and have a healthy start to the school day, which will in turn reduce traffic congestion, and improve the environmental health of our communities.

Newsletters

Keep up with the happenings of the �ƹ��Ƶ Safe Routes to School Program by

Program Elements

SRTS School San Mateo County is modeled after the National Safe Routes to School Program, which focuses activities around a 6E framework focused on education, encouragement, engineering, enforcement, evaluation, and equity. Together, the activities create a comprehensive, integrated approach to safe transportation in public education.

Education: Providing students and the community with the skills to walk and bicycle safely, educating them about the benefits of walking and bicycling, and teaching them about the broad range of transportation choices.
Encouragement: Generating enthusiasm and increased walking and bicycling for students through events, activities, and programs.
Engagement: Listening to students, families, teachers and school leaders, and working with existing community organizations to build ongoing and intentional engagement events into the program structure.
Engineering: Creating physical improvements to streets and neighborhoods that make walking and bicycling safer, more comfortable, and more convenient.
Evaluation: Assessing which approaches are more or less successful, ensuring that programs and initiatives are supporting equitable outcomes, and identifying unintended consequences or opportunities to improve the effectiveness of each approach.
Equity: Ensuring that Safe Routes to School initiatives are benefiting all demographic groups, with particular attention to ensuring safe, healthy, and fair outcomes for low-income students, students of color, students of all genders, students with disabilities, and others.

Safe cyclists are predictable, proactive, excellent communicators, and visible. Included here are a few resources and instructional videos to support the development of safe cycling behaviors and practices.

Helmet Safety

Your helmet is the most important and effective safety device available to reduce head injury and/or death from cycling, skateboarding, scootering, and roller skating accidents. Not all helmets are the same. Bicycle helmets are not made for other activities. Bicycle helmets are only good for one crash and then they must be replaced. Do not wear helmets when playing on playground equipment. Helmet straps can get caught on equipment and cause choking. Make sure your helmet is the right size and that it fits properly. Follow these steps to fit your helmet. Use this checklist to make sure your helmet fits properly.

�ƹ��Ƶ Safe Routes frequently has helmets to deliver to community members. If you or anyone you know needs a helmet, please email SRTS@smcoe.org detailing the quantity and sizes that you would need. While we cannot ensure that we can provide the sizes or quantity requested, we are happy to provide you with free, new, and fitted helmets when we have the available stock.

Additional Reading

The Effect of Bike Lane System Design Upon Cyclists' Traffic Errors

Improving Bicyclists' Traffic Behavior by Changing National Attitudes

CA Department of Motor Vehicles Bike Safety Publication

Handbooks

Guidebook for running and hosting family bicycle workshops, produced by the Marin Bicycle Coalition with funding from Spare the Air Youth of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Videos

Organizations

Community Involvement

In addition to organizing encouragement events with schools, the Safe Routes to School Program also hosts and participates in many community events with the goal of elevating the quality of life within our communities by way of improving air quality, creating a greener, healthier environment, and increasing self-reliance within San Mateo County. Below are a few examples:

The "Every Kid Deserves A Bike" program was created by the City of South San Francisco in broad partnership with the Safe Routes to School Program here at the �ƹ��Ƶ, alongside a number of other organizations and volunteers. It strives to provide children from Title 1 schools with the joyful experience and health benefits of riding their bicycles.

First launched in May of 2022, the program provided 150 bicycles to fourth and fifth graders from two schools. In the 2023-2024 school year, the thriving program expanded to provide five schools with a total of 350 bicycles, helmets, and locks for children in need.
The goal of a walk audit is to identify barriers that make walking and biking unsafe for students. By recognizing and prioritizing these issues, the city and the identified school can take action to make active modes of transportation safer for students. The audit brings forth recommendations to alleviate traffic safety concerns that impact how students get to and from school.

Walk Audit Facilitator Training

�ƹ��Ƶ Safe Routes to School hosted a walk audit training with on February 29th (Part 1) and March 13th (Part 2). Attendees included Safe Routes to School champions from San Mateo County and from Hawaii to New York! .

Walk Audit Analysis

To view the walk audit analysis, please scroll down to the "Safe Routes to School Reporting" section and click on "Walk Audit Analysis" to see available reports for each school district.
The �ƹ��Ƶ (�ƹ��Ƶ) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Team hosted a fun event for farmworkers in the coast side communities and their families in appreciation for their hard work in 2023. Thank you to all of the community partners who attended and gave out resources! .

As a result of the success of the 2023 event, SRTS program hosted the Farmworker event again in 2024. The 2024 event was themed "Fields of Gratitute: Celebrating Farmworkers" and took place in August 2024. Thank you once again to all of our partners and donors for making this possible. With donations from City of South San Francisco and other community members, we were able to give out over 30 bicycles to the Farmworking community in and around Half Moon Bay. Feel free to !
El Camino Real Demonstration

Road safety initiatives bring forth innovation in South San Francisco. The Smart Growth America pilot program, partners with the City of South San Francisco on a complete streets quick-build. With the support of CalTrans, temporary traffic improvements will take place from Country Club Drive to South Spruce Avenue on El Camino Real which will go live in July 2023. In partnership with the City of South San Francisco, �ƹ��Ƶ Safe Routes to School will ensure students who walk, bike, and take public transit nearby the quick-build will safely travel along El Camino Real.

ECR Demonstration Project Debut