Dear parents, caregivers, educators, and community,
We're keeping the momentum going this fall! There's a lot happening across our schools and neighborhoods from events and opportunities to resources and more:
- Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day is taking place Friday, November 14. Make sure to get your incentive orders in by this Friday, November 7!
- Applications are now open for the BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador Program! Roosevelt, McDaniel, and Parkrose high schools students can apply by Monday, December 15.
- We launched our new Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Plan map. This long-term strategy developed in 2017 is comprised of a priority network and project list. Check it out!
- Vision Zero has free "20 is plenty" yard signs available for pick-up at the Portland Building (1120 SW Fifth Ave.). Limited to one per household. Come get them!
- Portland Bureau of Transportation's Rainy Rider Photo Contest runs all month long. Text a photo of yourself and your bicycle in the rain to 888-520-0526 for a chance to win prizes. Kids have their own special category, too!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and tag us in your stories! We love celebrating your successes with the Portland community.
With gratitude,
Safe Routes to School Team | Brittany, Gui, Janis, Jeri, Josh, and Meaghan
In this newsletter
- Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, Nov. 14
- Join the BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador Program!
- Check out the new Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Plan map
- PBOT launches new project to improve safety along school bike bus routes
- Travel with caution: Darker, rainier weather adds safety risks to city streets
- Sharing walking school buses and bike buses with City Councilors
- Kellogg Middle School students take a bike field trip to Franklin High School
- McDaniel High School students transform NE 77th Avenue and Alameda Street
- Community spotlight: Clint Harpster
- Have you seen our new traffic safety billboards around Portland?
- World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims Nov. 16
- Come get your "20 is plenty" yard signs!
- Ride Through the Seasons
- Get ready for Leaf Day street sweeping service!
- Adopt your neighborhood storm drain and help prevent street flooding
- Apply to join Metro's Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee
- Personal safety community resources
- Job and volunteer postings
- What we're reading
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, Nov. 14
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day will be held on Friday, November 14. This day honors the living legacy of the civil rights activist who — in 1960, at just 6 years old! — etched her name in history when she walked to school and integrated all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Since then, Ruby has become a national icon for her courageous act. The goal of Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day is to inspire kids to make positive changes in their school and community.
Visit the Ruby Bridges Foundation website to register your event and get event planning resources.
Order incentives by Friday, November 7
Order ahead of time to make sure you have incentives ready for Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day! Incentives include special Ruby Bridges stickers and bookmarks along with standard incentives, i.e., stickers, reflective shoelaces, pencils, comics, bookmarks, activity sheets, and coloring books. Order by Friday, November 7!
Learn more about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
Join the BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador Program!
The BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador Program gives students hands-on experience in project management, public speaking, and leadership. Participants have the opportunity to earn money and complete their Career-Related Learning Experience (CRLE) graduation requirement while supporting active transportation and sustainability efforts in their school communities. Participants may earn up to $320 for 20 hours of work over the length of the program (January - June 2026).
Apply by Monday, December 15
Students 16 years or older at Roosevelt, McDaniel or Parkrose high schools are eligible to apply. Complete and submit the online application form by Monday, December 15.
Apply now to the BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador Program!
Check out the new Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Plan map
Last month, Safe Routes to School launched the new Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Plan map. This long-term strategy developed in 2017 is comprised of a priority network and project list. This is the first place staff look to fund safety improvements when funding becomes available.
Priority network
The priority network represents streets likely to have most students walking on them to access a school. Staff prioritize projects along the network.
To be clear, these are not suggested or recommended routes to school. Students and families may choose where and how they travel according to their abilities and comfort level. Portland Bureau of Transportation's walk and bike maps show existing infrastructure. Many schools have circulation maps that illustrate preferred traffic flows and loading zones. If your school doesn't have one, ask your principal to create one! Our school campus circulation website has resources to help them get started.
Project list
There are approximately 1,300 traffic safety projects located along the priority network. These projects are intended to address traffic safety barriers along the streets where most kids and families are most likely to travel. Project types on the project list include construct walkways, crossing improvements, mark or update crosswalks, shared use paths, signal intersection improvements, and traffic calming.
As of September 2025, we've built more than 350 traffic safety projects. Sources of eligible funding include Fixing Our Streets, Portland Public Schools' School Building Improvement Bond Program, the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, and competitive grants.
Visit the Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Plan map
PBOT launches new project to improve safety along school bike bus routes
Neighborhood Greenway Bike Bus Project
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is launching a new project to make neighborhood greenways safer and more comfortable for students and families walking and biking school. Walking school buses and bike buses have grown in popularity in recent years. This school year, about 30 are happening at schools across the city, according to BikeBusPDX.
To support these efforts, PBOT will partner with communities around four schools — Abernethy, James John, Lent, and Maplewood elementary schools — to identify improvements. Over the next year, PBOT will gather input and develop projects along these routes that address what we hear. In the second year, staff will build an initial set of improvements.
You can share your input through PBOT's online survey now through Sunday, November 30. While you can comment on any neighborhood greenway or street, the project team is especially interested in feedback about bike bus routes serving Abernethy, James John, Lent, and Maplewood elementary schools, which are highlighted on the survey map.
Learn more about PBOT's Neighborhood Greenway Bike Bus Project
Travel with caution: Darker, rainier weather adds safety risks to city streets
With the end of daylight savings time, darker conditions increase traffic safety risks on Portland streets. It's important that people driving slow down, stay alert, and look out for people walking, biking, and rolling on the street.
Pedestrian deaths increase as days get darker
Last year, 83% of traffic deaths last year occurred in darker conditions (which includes dusk, nighttime, and dawn). Of all pedestrian deaths last year, 86% occurred in darker conditions. These trends are consistent with traffic safety research.
We all have a responsibility to help make our streets safe
- Slow down and travel at or below the speed limit
- Take care when making turns and approaching crosswalks
- Always turn on headlights
- Maintain a safe distance between vehicles
- Keep windshields clean
- Stay alert and avoid distractions — it's illegal to drive while holding and using a cell phone
- Dress as visibly as possible when traveling outside of a motor vehicle
Reflective clothing = 10x improved visibility
Did you know that pedestrians wearing reflective clothing are visible to people driving up to 500 feet away? Compare that to just 55 feet away when pedestrians wear dark colors and no reflective gear or lights. That added safety benefit can help us keep ourselves and others safe. (A new AAA study found that some vehicles with pedestrian automatic emergency braking may not detect people wearing certain high-visibility clothing.)
Learn more about rainy weather travel tips
Sharing walking school buses and bike buses with City Councilors
This year the Safe Routes to School team celebrated back to school by inviting City Councilors to walking school buses and bike buses in each of the four Council Districts.
District 4: Maplewood Elementary School
On Friday, August 29, the City of Portland's Deputy City Administrator of Public Works Priya Dhanapal, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Portland Police Bureau's Central Precinct Response Team Bike Squad, Multnomah Neighborhood Association, and City Councilor Mitch Green joined Maplewood Elementary School for their first bike bus of the new school year!
District 2: César Chávez K-8 School
On Wednesday, September 3, PBOT, Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), Community Cycling Center, and staff from City Councilor Dan Ryan's office joined César Chávez K-8 School's bike bus and walking school bus. We had loads of fun and traveled to school with Huntr/x's "Golden" playing in the background!
District 3: Vestal Elementary School
On Wednesday, October 1, PBOT, Portland Fire & Rescue's Station 19, PCEF, and City Councilor Steve Novik joined Vestal Elementary School's bike bus and walking school bus. We celebrated PBOT's recent infrastructure improvement projects — including the Bike Bus Wayfinding Pilot Project and vision clearance — while Station 19's fire engine led us to campus. We even made the news!
District 1: Powell Butte Elementary School
On Wednesday, October 8 — International Walk+Roll to School Day — PBOT and Centennial School District's Safe Routes to School programs, Portland Fire & Rescue's Station 31, PCEF, and City Councilor Jamie Dunphy showed up to support Powell Butte Elementary School's walking school buses and park-and-walk! Centennial High School cheerleaders, as well as staff dressed up in cone and avocado costumes, welcomed over 400 students to campus on a very special day. Check out local news coverage!
We're already planning more of these types of events for the spring, so stay tuned!
Learn more about Safe Routes to School
Kellogg Middle School students take a bike field trip to Franklin High School
Last month, Torey "Coach Freeze" Frisina led his Kellogg Middle School students on a bike field trip to Franklin High School. As part of a bike safety education unit in his wellness classes, Coach Freeze teaches his students bike handling skills and road safety awareness both inside a classroom and on neighborhood streets surrounding their school. This bike field trip is similar to what PE teacher Scott DeMonte provides for graduating students at Lewis Elementary School — a chance for students to learn how to bike commute to their next school.
Bring bike safety education to your school
If your elementary or middle school is interested in offering bike safety education through a health or physical education class, Safe Routes to School staff can provide free train-the-trainer education, including training, in-class support and observation, feedback, and help responding to questions. Safe Routes to School offers a fleet of bikes and helmets for students to use during the program. We also provide original lessons (intended for middle school-aged students) that are paired with the State of Oregon Department of Education's Core PE Standards. Interested? Send us an email to let us know.
Learn more about Safe Routes to School's bike safety education
McDaniel High School students transform NE 77th Avenue and Alameda Street
In September and October, McDaniel High School art and leadership students helped transform what would be a standard striping project at NE 77th Avenue and Alameda Street into a colorful street mural. Led by art teacher Clint Harpster, students had the opportunity to learn about placemaking from Portland Bureau of Transportation staff. Using that information, students designed artwork for the mural in class. After conceptualizing the design, students spent two days painting the intersection near their school's campus. This project brings visibility, creativity, and community pride to the neighborhood.
Expect further improvements soon to the NE 77th and Alameda Street intersection, including a new marked crosswalk, painted curb extension, and additional street lighting!
Learn more about Safe Routes to School intersection improvement projects
Community spotlight: Clint Harpster
We're interested in sharing stories about the amazing work that everyday folks in Portland do to make our community better. Clint Harpster is one of those people helping kids and their families walk, bike, and roll to and from school safely!
Clint is an illustration, animation, photography, and multi-media teacher at McDaniel High School. He led his students to conceptualize, design, and install a street art mural at NE 77th Avenue and Alameda Street — just off campus. Continue reading to learn more about Clint!
Question: Why did you want to work on a street mural with your students?
Answer: I started running my advanced class with a mural unit a few years ago. I try to push community and service when we track down jobs. What a better place to do that than right outside our high school and in our very own community!
Q: What is one bit of wisdom for people who want to do something like what you're doing?
A: Plan super far ahead. Murals are full time jobs for lots of artists. The prep work that goes into them is unbelievable sometimes.
Q: What is something you've learned while doing this work?
A: I've never done a street mural! Their regulations are way more intense than I thought! And I like to think, as an art teacher, I know a little bit about paint but learning to work with shark grip and anti-slip paint was wild.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: I have loved murals since my college years. I had an amazing teacher, V. Kim Martinez, who really instilled that murals can be so much more than art. They can build connections and change lives. I've seen students who weren't engaged much in school completely turn around when given a project like this. And at the end of the day, it's not just my love for art and painting — it's about watching my students succeed and love it too.
Q: What's one thing you'd like people to better understand about your work?
A: The art is secondary. It's the journey for my students that is most important. There are certainly better muralists in Portland, but I think I do a good job of getting high school kids motivated to get out and change their community.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
A: I'm an artist who blends traditional techniques with a digital edge. I've called Portland home for over a decade now, finding inspiration in its diverse landscapes and culture. Beyond the classroom, my artwork reflects a fusion of contemporary trends and classic styles with a neo-pop twist. Outside of my artistic endeavors, I find joy spending time with my family — my spouse and our spirited three-year-old — who serve as a constant source of inspiration in my creative journey.
Do you know someone who is helping kids and their families walk, bike, and roll to and from school? Tell us about them by filling out this community spotlight nomination form!
Nominate someone in your community
Have you seen our new traffic safety billboards around Portland?
Spotted! Have you seen Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) new traffic safety billboards around Portland?
They highlight important messages for people driving motor vehicles. Many are located on or near High Crash Network streets and intersections, such as N Lombard Street, SE 122nd Avenue, NE Sandy Boulevard, SE Division Street, 82nd Avenue, SW Barbur Boulevard, N Interstate Avenue, NE Broadway, NE Glisan Street, and SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway.
These billboards were made possible through funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation and Metro.
School routes are everywhere. Drive like it.
Slow down and watch for kids walking, biking, and rolling outside your vehicle anywhere you're driving — not just near schools. With more than 120 schools across Portland, most people pass a school or a route commonly used by schoolchildren every half mile.
PBOT is installing traffic safety improvement projects citywide and near schools. In the past year, we installed:
- 25 crossing projects (curb ramps, crosswalks, medians, signals, etc.)
- 20 speed projects (speed bumps, lower speed limits, speed reader boards, etc.)
- 10 walkway projects (new sidewalks and paths)
These improvements help make our streets safer for everyone. Together, we can help reduce deadly and serious injury crashes on Portland streets.
Learn more about how we're making streets safer through Vision Zero
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims Nov. 16
Each year, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims honors those who have been killed and injured on roads around the globe—1.35 million people each year worldwide. This year, Portland's World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event will take place on Sunday, November 16 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Luuwit View Park (NE 127th Avenue and Fremont Street). The event will be hosted by Families for Safe Streets Portland with support from sponsors Oregon Walks, BikeLoud, 1000 Friends of Oregon, The Street Trust, and Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Learn more about World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Come get your "20 is plenty" yard signs!
You loved them, and now they're back! Come get your "20 is plenty" yard sign at the Portland Building (1120 SW Fifth Ave.) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
20 mph speed limit supports safety
Most residential streets in Portland are narrow, have few marked crosswalks, and no bike lanes. Given the neighborhood use and lack of protection for people walking, using mobility devices, and biking, it is important that people drive slowly on residential streets.
Slower speeds lower the risk of crashes. When crashes occur, slower speeds make it less likely that people are killed or seriously injured. A pedestrian struck by a person driving 20 mph is four times more likely to survive than a pedestrian struck at 40 mph.
Learn more about how to get free Vision Zero materials
Ride Through the Seasons
The Portland Bureau of Transportation's Ride Through the Seasons campaign aims to encourage Portlanders to keep riding their bikes past summer and into fall. Join us for rides and events, with the chance to win prizes along the way. Riding in the rain is not only possible, it's fun too!
Rainy Rider Photo Contest
Saturday, November 1 to Sunday, November 30
Riding in the rain is not only possible, it's fun too! Text a photo of yourself and your bicycle in the rain to 888-520-0526 for the chance to win prizes all month long! If your photo features a student or kid, you'll have the chance to win a Safe Routes to School goodie bag including bike lights, pencils, backpack, water bottle, and reflective sticker! Up to four winners will be selected each week.
All Seasons Cycling Workshop
Friday, November 7
Join an interactive session to learn tips and techniques for staying dry, comfortable and safe while riding all year-round on Friday, November 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Woodstock Library (6008 SE 49th Ave.)
Waterways Real and Metaphoric Ride
Saturday, November 15
Keep riding through the seasons on this tour of public art and community spaces where rainfall and water play an important role in our city on Saturday, November 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Delicious Donuts (12 SE Grand Ave.)
Learn more about Ride Through the Seasons
Get ready for Leaf Day street sweeping service!
What is Leaf Day?
From November to mid-January each year, the Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) Leaf Day service helps us provide cleaner, safer streets, keep our storm drains clear, and ensure our intersections don't flood.
High schools in Leaf Zones
This year, ten Portland high schools are in Leaf Zones:
Franklin High School
- Wednesday, November 5 (Leaf Zones SE 16, 17)
David Douglas High School
- Thursday, November 6 (Leaf Zone SE 23)
Grant High School
- Monday, November 10 (Leaf Zone NE 8)
- Tuesday, November 18 (Leaf Zones NE 11, 12)
- Saturday, December 13 (Leaf Zones NE 11, 12)
- Monday, January 12 (Leaf Zone NE 8)
Jefferson High School
- Wednesday, November 12 (Leaf Zone N 6)
- Friday, November 21 (Leaf Zone N 7)
- Wednesday, December 3 (Leaf Zone N 6)
Central Catholic High School
- Monday, November 24 (Leaf Zone SE 1)
- Monday, January 5 (Leaf Zone SE 1)
Lincoln High School
- Thursday, December 4 (Leaf Zone SW 2)
Roosevelt High School
- Tuesday, December 9 (Leaf Zone N 2)
Ida B. Wells High School
- Tuesday, January 13 (Leaf Zone SW 5)
McDaniel High School
- Thursday, January 15 (Leaf Zone NE 24)
Cleveland High School
- Friday, January 16 (Leaf Zones SE 14, 15)
Note: Benson and Parkrose high schools are not in or adjacent to Leaf Zones.
Please ensure students, staff, and visitors who might drive and park in the surrounding community are aware of these dates so they can make alternate plans. Promoting walking, biking, and rolling to school these days, for instance, reduces the number of vehicles and helps PBOT get the cleanest sweep possible.
Learn more about PBOT's Leaf Day service
Adopt your neighborhood storm drain and help prevent street flooding
The leaves are changing colors and rain is in the forecast, which means it is time for the return of the Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) Adopt a Storm Drain program.
PBOT crews work hard to keep more than 58,000 storm drains clear but with so many, we can't get to them all. By "adopting" a storm drain near you and helping keep them clear of debris, you help keep your street safe and clear from ponding water for your family, friends, and neighbors.
Follow these tips for clearing storm drains:
- Use a rake, shovel, or broom and wear gloves and reflective clothing.
- Only clear drains you can reach from the curb (or the shoulder where there are no sidewalks).
- Clear drain before the rain, whenever possible.
- Never lift storm drain grates.
- Don't put leaves in the street.
Thank you to all Portlanders who have "adopted" storm drains in their neighborhoods and help PBOT keep them free and clear.
Learn more about PBOT's Adopt a Storm Drain program
Apply to join Metro's Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee
Metro is seeking two community representatives to fill positions on the Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee (TPAC). The TPAC provides technical input on transportation planning and funding priorities for the region. The community positions are well suited for representatives from organizations working on topics related to transportation. Unaffiliated community members may also apply. These community representative positions will serve two-year terms. To apply, submit an application by Monday, November 17.
Learn more about Metro's Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee
Personal safety community resources
We want to help create a transportation system that allows all people to feel safe getting where they need to go. We put together free, accessible personal safety resources for community members, including how to report a non-urgent traffic safety concern, report bias and hate, participate in a self-defense workshop, and more.
Learn more about personal safety community resources
Job and volunteer postings
The City of Portland posts new job opportunities every Monday.
Northwest Parking Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Apply by Sunday, November 9
The Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee (NW Parking SAC) advises the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) on transportation and parking issues in NW Portland. The NW Parking SAC supports a full range of transportation options within the context of neighborhood livability and economic vitality with the goal to efficiently manage parking and reduce reliance on single-occupancy automobiles.
Learn more about the Northwest Parking Stakeholder Advisory Committee
What we're reading
- Parents and students trade car rides for community connection with Atlanta Bike Bus (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
- Why more parents are riding cargo bikes, skipping the minivan (NPR)
- The war on… walking and biking? (Streetsblog)
- 8 walking and biking safety tips that just might save your life (NPR)
- Reducing e-scooter injuries demands designing safer streets (Axios)
- US probes Alphabet unit Waymo robotaxis over school bus safety (Reuters)
- Why do we care about speed? (ProFound City Insights)
- Why Halloween can be dangerous in America (Bloomberg CityLab)
- No, defensive walking isn't the solution for road deaths (Jalopnik)
- How to talk to a climate doomer (even if that doomer is you) (Yale Climate Connections)
Parts of this document were drafted with the support of ChatGPT. The content was edited and fact-checked by city staff.