Dear parents, caregivers, educators, and community,
It's Bike Month! Keep active this spring and join schools across Oregon to celebrate the Walk+Roll May Challenge. Walking, biking, and rolling to school is exhilarating and fun—give it a try this May! Here are some ideas:
- If you're able, leave the car at home and travel to school with friends through either a walking school bus or bike bus.
- If you live too far to walk, bike, or roll, try a park-and-walk by parking a few blocks away from the school and walking the rest of the way.
- If you take the school bus, have a walk in the school yard or do a few laps around the track at break time so you can get active too!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook—and tag us in your stories so we can share your successes with our Portland community.
With gratitude,
Safe Routes to School Team | Brittany, Dana, Gui, Janis, Jeri, Josh, and Meaghan
In this newsletter
- Have you seen the new bike bus signs?
- Community spotlight: Coach Ed Rosario
- Pedestrian and bike safety education, galore!
- BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador program
- New Parklane Park multimodal path in the Centennial neighborhood
- Oregon Safe Routes to School high school video contest
- Bike to Books is back for Bike Month in May!
- Free PBOT bike events
- Apply for a PCEF Community Grant by May 27!
- Bike Bus: The Original Barbie webinar, June 3
- Cycle Oregon Kids Bike Camp
- Personal safety community resources
- Job and volunteer postings
- What we're reading
Have you seen the new bike bus signs?
Portland Bureau of Transportation Safe Routes to School is partnering with Portland Public School bike bus leaders to help make biking to school safer with help from a Metro Regional Travel Options grant. The grant will support wayfinding efforts for bike buses at Abernethy, Alameda, Creston, Glencoe, James John, Maplewood, Vernon, Vestal, and Woodstock elementary schools.
In addition to wayfinding, we heard from bike bus leaders that more support was needed to help families feel safe biking to school. Often people driving motor vehicles travel too close behind a bike bus or attempt to pass a bike bus. Both of these actions cause unsafe situations for kids and adults on the bike bus. Safe Routes to School co-created yellow, weatherproof signs with bike bus leaders to attach to their bikes. Each sign shares safety messages, including one in Spanish:
- School bike bus - Do not pass
- Kids biking - Do not pass/No pasar - Niños en bicicleta
- Kids biking - Use alternate route
These signs will help inform people driving motor vehicles that they're approaching a large group of kids and families riding bikes. They will also educate people driving motor vehicles how to safely share the street with bike buses.
Stay tuned for more bike bus wayfinding efforts in the fall!
Is your school's bike bus interested in these signs? Email us and we'll send you PDFs to print your own!
Learn more about how to start a bike bus
Community spotlight: Coach Ed Rosario
We're interested in sharing stories about the amazing work that everyday folks in Portland do to make our community better. Coach Ed Rosario is one of those people helping kids and their families walk, bike, and roll to and from school!
Coach Ed is a driven physical education (PE) teacher helping to make mornings before the school bell rings more meaningful, active, and safe for students and families at Woodmere Elementary School. In partnership with Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Coach Ed started a weekly bike bus on Wednesdays and walking school bus on Fridays to help activate the recently completed Brentwood-Darlington Multimodal Improvements project—a collection of infrastructure upgrades to improve access to neighborhood parks, destinations, and schools.
Continue reading to learn more about Coach Ed!
Question: Why/how did you get started helping kids and their families walk, bike, and roll to and from school?
Answer: As a PE teacher, part of my job is helping people find ways to intrinsically motivate themselves to be lifelong movers. I also believe movement can be a powerful catalyst for building healthy relationships with both our peers and our broader community. I’m always looking for ways to promote different types of physical activity that help students feel connected and involved.
I’ve been fascinated for a while by how walking school and bike buses are used in other countries as a primary mode of getting to and from school. Earlier this year, I had the chance to teach Safe Routes to School's bike safety education curriculum and use their fleet of bikes. After seeing how much fun my students had on our community ride—and the energy they brought back to campus—I knew this was something I wanted to bring to our school community. PBOT's Rob Hemphill reached out to me and offered some support in hopes to promote our new neighborhood greenway. It was an opportunity I could not say "no" to.
Q: What is one bit of wisdom for people who want to do something like what you're doing?
A: Make it your own. It doesn’t have to be big, loud, “celebrity-level," or "showy” to be meaningful. Meaningful moments build intrinsic motivation. We had five riders on day one, and it was just as amazing as the 10 or so we have now. This week on our walking school bus, I left the speaker at home—and instead, we had some great community-building conversations. Start small, stay true to your community culture, and let it grow from there.
Q: What is something you have learned while doing this work?
A: I’ve learned that a simple idea—like meeting a mile and a half or more from school to walk or bike together—can actually help motivate students to get up and come to school, which isn’t always easy for some of them. I’ve also learned (along with probably a few of our neighbors) that my students have some pretty impressive—and very loud—dolphin impersonation skills!
Q: What is something you’ve grappled with while doing this work?
A: I’ve grappled with not gathering enough input from the community—especially from our underserved communities, including families of color and students with disabilities. I want Woodmere’s walking school and bike buses to be more inclusive, without placing extra burdens on the very communities that are often underserved.
Within public education, there’s often a built-in sense of urgency to produce results quickly. That urgency can lead to launching something without taking the time to be thoughtful and inclusive—especially of those most impacted. In this case, it meant some voices in our community weren’t part of the planning process.
Moving forward, I will plan some new routes with this intentionality of inclusion. And I hope PBOT and Safe Routes to School, when supporting projects like this, can help advocate for inclusive planning by including this in the planning process/steps guide to ensuring underserved communities are not an afterthought, but a central part of the process from the very beginning.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: It’s the little things—like hearing kids who are in different classes and grades make connections and talk about baking cookies, good books, or their nervousness about middle school—that really stick with me. Those everyday conversations remind me how powerful these shared moments can be in building community.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
A: I’m a Puerto Rican who grew up in Oregon, and I’ve been involved in education for 18 years. I’m a little obsessed with tie-dye, and over the summer, you can usually find me in the woods or the garden with my wife and our dog.
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!
Learn more about how to nominate someone in your community
Pedestrian and bike safety education, galore!
The Safe Routes to School team serves an estimated 61,700 students in Portland’s 108 schools across five districts—that's a lot of students! How can we, as a team of about 5.5 full-time employees, reach all those students? It takes a little creativity and teamwork with educators. Through a train-the-trainer teaching model, we help educators become transportation safety experts for their school community. This helps expand our reach beyond what we would be able to do alone.
Pedestrian safety education
In March and April, educators taught pedestrian safety education through games and movement at Cherry Park, Earl Boyles, Hartley, Parklane, Sacramento, Shaver, and Vestal elementary school physical education classes. In May, Clark, Lewis, Prescott, and Whitman elementary schools and Astor K-8 School will get their chance!
Bike safety education
In March and April, educators taught bike safety education through bike handling skills and road safety awareness in both classroom and outdoor settings at Arleta, Lent, Peninsula, Rose City Park elementary schools and George and Harrison Park middle schools. In May, Lewis Elementary School, Astor K-8 School, and Parkrose Middle School will get their chance!
Learn more about transportation safety education programming
BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador program
The BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador program is a new opportunity for Parkrose, Roosevelt, and McDaniel high school students to get paid to develop leadership skills, promote healthy lifestyles, and fulfill their Career-Related Learning Experience requirement while teaching their peers how to use Portland's BIKETOWN bike-share system. The program, made possible through an Oregon Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School education grant, kicked-off in April and will run through June 2026.
Roosevelt High School students get to work!
In April, BIKETOWN Youth Ambassadors were tasked with scheduling three “orientation sessions” at their respective schools in a classroom setting. At these orientation sessions, program participants shared with their peers about the environmental, physical, and financial benefits of choosing to walk, bike, or roll and taught them how to use and sign up for BIKETOWN.
Roosevelt High School BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador’s, Cadence and Sienna, scheduled their first orientation session for Earth Day—Tuesday, April 22. To promote the event, they created flyers and a video that was featured in their school's daily announcements. Four students attended that orientation session and signed up for BIKETOWN for All, a program that provides Portland residents who live on low-incomes with a reduced-cost BIKETOWN membership.
We're looking forward to what's next for the BIKETOWN Youth Ambassador program!
New Parklane Park multimodal path in the Centennial neighborhood
As part of the Parklane Park Project to expand the Centennial neighborhood green space from 5 to 25 acres, Portland Bureau of Transportation installed a new multimodal path for people walking, biking, and rolling along SE Main Street and Millmain Drive on the park's south edge. This path will improve access for students and families getting to and from Oliver Middle and Parklane Elementary schools, as well as the park. After re-opening, Parklane Park will also include a new pedestrian route for people traveling east-west through the park to get to and from the nearby schools.
Construction of multimodal path is complete
Construction of the multimodal path is complete, and the park is expected to re-open later this month.
The new multimodal path is made possible through a Local Improvement District, a funding mechanism by which a group of property owners share in the cost of improving a street, building sidewalks, or installing a stormwater management system.
Together with the local school community, PBOT identified these pathways and crossing as important connections for students and families travelling to and from Oliver Middle and Parklane Elementary schools during a Safe Routes to School outreach process.
Join the community opening celebration!
Mark your calendars! Portland Parks & Recreation is hosting a community opening celebration on Thursday, June 12th from 3 to 6 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m.
Learn more about the Parklane Park multiuse path
Oregon Safe Routes to School high school video contest
Make a video about your route to school
Oregon Safe Routes to School is encouraging high school students to explore and highlight the unique features or interesting things they encounter on their route to school—and make a video about it! Prizes include outdoor gear for walking and biking. Keep these in mind when creating your video:
- Share a glimpse of your route to school—whether you’re walking, biking, rolling, or carpooling
- Focus on what's unique about your route and what stands out to you
- Show real-life examples of small moments or big discoveries
- Make the video fun, upbeat, and engaging
Submit by Saturday, May 31
To submit, email your video or a link to it by Saturday, May 31 to walkrolloregon@gmail.com with the subject line “Video Contest Submission.” Include your name, grade, and school.
Learn more about the high school video contest
Bike to Books is back for Bike Month in May!
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Multnomah County Library have teamed up once again to invite Portland-area students (and now adults!) to design original bike lane art to celebrate bike month and the hundreds of miles of bike lanes around the city. Four winning designs (one for each age group category) will be installed on one of Portland’s many bike lanes and neighborhood greenways by PBOT striping crews.
Submit your designs by Sunday, June 1
To participate, pick up a copy of the design form at your local library branch or visit the Bike to Books website for a downloadable copy. Forms are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian. When your design is finished, drop it off at your local library, or send pictures of both sides of the form to biketobooks@portlandoregon.gov by Sunday, June 1.
More ways to engage!
Multnomah County Library is hosting a series of bike-related events and classes throughout May. Stop by your local library to check out a Bike Storytime or a PBOT-led Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop.
Check out this Bike to Books slideshow a Buckman Elementary School librarian created for other librarians and teachers to use to inspire students to create bike lane art designs!
Learn more about Bike to Books
Free PBOT bike events
Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop
Friday, May 16
The Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop at North Portland Library (512 N Killingsworth St.) is your opportunity to learn about bike maintenance and get some hands-on experience doing basic repairs on Friday, May 16 from 3 to 5 p.m. After going over the major systems on a bike, you'll learn how to do some simple adjustments and practice flat repair. Bring your bike—but it's not required. Come with questions about issues you might have!
Learn more about the Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop
Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways
Sunday, May 18
Come celebrate National Bike Month and enjoy car-free streets at Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways, presented by Kaiser Permanente, on May 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. As a beloved Portland tradition since 2008, enjoy a welcoming environment for active living, community connection, and civic pride on Portland’s largest public space—its streets!
Learn more about Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways
Northeast Cully Neighborhood Bike Fair
Friday, June 6
The Northeast Cully Neighborhood Bike Fair at Rigler Elementary School (5401 NE Prescott St.) is a family-friendly event on Friday, June 6 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Activities include biking lessons to learn bike safety skills, learn-to-ride coaching, quick-fix bike repair, and helmet fitting. Participants are welcome to bring their own bikes, but there will also be bikes of various sizes available for children and adults to borrow.
Learn more about the Northeast Cully Neighborhood Bike Fair
Apply for a PCEF Community Grant by May 27!
Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund's Community Grants program will distribute up to $67 million in grants for community-led projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resiliency in ways that advance economic, social, and climate justice for our under-resourced communities. One of the funding categories is transportation decarbonization, which includes biking and walking. Grants may fund initiatives such as e-bike lending programs and pedestrian safety programs. Apply online by Tuesday, May 27.
Learn more about the PCEF Community Grants program
Bike Bus: The Original Barbie webinar, June 3
What do Barbie and the Bike Bus have in common? They’re both more than what they seem. Barbie has always been a canvas for imagination and possibility—and so is the Bike Bus.
Bike Buses are our joyful expression of what we want for our children and communities: safety, freedom, connection, and fun. But the Bike Bus is just one version of that dream. It could also be a Walking School Bus, a School Street, a Kidical Mass ride, or a Play Street. Bike Buses happen to be the thing that goes viral—but what’s really going viral is a vision. A vision of streets designed for kids, neighborhoods where play is welcome, and mornings that start with movement, music, and community.
Join the Bike Bus: The Original Barbie webinar on Tuesday, June 3 at 1 p.m. to learn five awesome ways to use Metro funds to support this unique movement at your school.
Learn more about Bike Bus: The Original Barbie webinar
Cycle Oregon Kids Bike Camp
Cycle Oregon's Kids Bike Camp is an exciting, weeklong day camp designed for young riders ages 8-12. Campers will build confidence, independence, and essential bike safety skills while exploring their surroundings on two wheels. With a focus on fun, community, and hands-on learning, this camp is the perfect way for kids to deepen their love for bicycling in a safe and supportive environment. Sessions run June 16-20 and August 4-8. Scholarships are available!
Learn more about the Summer Kids Camps
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.
Park Squad (Summer Recreation Employment)
Apply by Monday, May 12
Portland Parks & Recreation is seeking hard-working, community-focused youth interested in first-time summer employment with the Park Squad! Park Squad strives to connect adolescent age youth to paid work as they experience a diverse mix of disciplines related to careers in Parks & Recreation. This recruitment is intended for summer employment only.
Learn more about the Park Squad position
What we're reading
- How rushed parents are putting kids in danger during morning drop-off at school (Study Finds)
- Many young drivers are taking risks behind the wheel, survey shows (Safety+Health)
- Trump throws the electric school bus transition into chaos (Bloomberg)
- 10 road safety do's and don'ts that might just save your life (NPR)
- How vehicle safety regulations have changed over the past 50 years (WFTV9)
Parts of this document were drafted with the support of ChatGPT. The content was edited and fact-checked by city staff.