Dear parents, caregivers, educators, and community,
Welcome back to school, Portland! As you return to the swing of things, take a moment to scroll through our newsletter. We have resources to help you join or start a walking school bus or bike bus, get ready for International Walk + Roll to School Day (on Wednesday, October 8!), learn about inventive and collaborative Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects, connect with a community of caregivers and teachers who share your goals, access grant resources, and more!
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
- Slow down and watch for kids walking, biking, and rolling as students return to school
- International Walk+Roll to School Day is Oct. 8!
- Bike Bus Wayfinding Pilot Project: Signs are going up!
- Vision clearance to improve intersection visibility near schools
- Community spotlight: Amy Higgs from the Eco-School Network
- Teaching traffic safety at Portland State University's Transportation Summer Camp
- Save the date: 2025-26 walk+roll events
- Portland Sunday Parkways debuts brand-new downtown route Sept. 14
- Take the Green Loop survey!
- Eco-School Network: Find your people, grow your impact
- Grant opportunities
- Child Passenger Safety Week: Sept. 21-27
- Week Without Driving: Sept. 29-Oct. 5
- Personal safety community resources
- Job and volunteer postings
- What we're reading
Slow down and watch for kids walking, biking, and rolling as students return to school
Back-to-school season is here, and streets all over Portland are busier. With thousands of students walking, biking, rolling, and riding transit to school, slow down and travel with extra care.
Everyone plays a part in kids traveling to and from school safely
People driving should exercise caution, regardless of whether they’re near a school or not. There are more than 120 elementary, middle, and high schools in Portland. On average, people moving about the city pass a school or a route commonly used by schoolchildren every half mile.
Build healthy, climate-friendly habits
Build healthy, climate-friendly habits by choosing to walk, bike, or roll to school. Opting to walk, bike, or roll helps reduce harmful chemicals, gases and particle pollution around schools and promotes clean air. Walking, rolling, and riding around the city are great ways to care for each other and our climate.
Walk, bike, and roll to school together
Traveling together allows families to enjoy meaningful time with one another while building connections within their school community. Morning activity increases brain function, so walking, biking, or rolling to school helps students arrive at school energized and ready to learn.
- Join or organize a walking school bus or bike bus where families walk or bike a route together and “pick up” passengers on their way to school. Over 25 schools in Portland already have a bike bus, with more being established all the time. Visit bikebuspdx.org to learn if your school already has a bike bus.
- Parents and caregivers who typically drive their children to school can avoid the school traffic jam by trying a park-and-walk—parking a couple blocks away from school and then walking or rolling into class from there.
- Talk with kids about how to cross streets safely.
- Follow traffic signage near school.
Getting in a healthy routine now will have students primed for International Walk + Roll to School Day on Wednesday, October 8, and Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on Friday, November 14.
Learn more about Safe Routes to School Back to School resources
International Walk+Roll to School Day is Oct. 8!
Celebrate International Walk+Roll to School Day on Wednesday, October 8! The Oregon Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program encourages schools to plan events to promote walking and rolling during the month of October. To help guide your event planning, please download this toolkit for activities, social media templates, posters and graphics, and more resources. Join the Facebook group to share ideas and successes with other school champions from across Oregon.
Order incentives
Order ahead of time to make sure you have incentives ready for International Walk+Roll to School Day! Incentives include stickers, reflective shoelaces, pencils, comics, bookmarks, activity sheets, and coloring books.
Portland Public Schools
If you are ordering for Portland Public Schools (PPS), please email Maddy Cirineo, PPS Safe Routes to School Coordinator, to request an order form. Submit your PPS orders by Wednesday, September 24. This form has already been provided to all principals and PTA leaders.
Centennial School District
If you are ordering for Centennial School District (CSD), please email Ian Rees, CSD Safe Routes to School Coordinator by Wednesday, October 1.
David Douglas, Parkrose, and Reynolds school districts
If you are ordering for David Douglas, Parkrose, or Reynolds school districts, order incentives by Wednesday, October 1. (Try this alternative order form if the previous link doesn't work!)
Learn more about International Walk + Roll to School Day
Bike Bus Wayfinding Pilot Project: Signs are going up!
Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) is partnering with Bike Bus PDX leaders to support bike buses and help make biking to school safer. PBOT's Safe Routes to School program received a Metro Regional Travel Options grant to make bike bus routes at nine elementary schools within Portland Public Schools more visible. The Bike Bus Wayfinding Pilot Project signage and pavement markings will educate communities about bike buses, how to travel on neighborhood greenways, and safe driving. The goal of the pilot is to help students and families feel safer and more confident biking to school.
Last month, PBOT crews started installing signs and pavement markings on neighborhood greenways that overlap with bike bus routes!
Project elements
- Bilingual lawn signs for schools to place along bike bus routes
- Bilingual bike signs with safety messages for bike bus leaders
- Signage and pavement markings on neighborhood greenways that overlap with bike bus routes (piloting at five schools)
- Messaging and Safe Routes to School staff support
- Evaluation through traffic counts and school community surveys
Pilot schools
Safe Routes to School is partnering with the following schools on the Bike Bus Wayfinding Pilot Project: Alameda, Abernethy, Creston, Glencoe, James John, Maplewood, Vestal, Woodstock elementary schools and Vernon K-8 School.
Metro's Regional Travel Options program funds projects and programs to educate, encourage, and reduce barriers to increase the use of travel options.
Learn more about the Bike Bus Wayfinding Pilot Project
Vision clearance to improve intersection visibility near schools
A PBOT safety initiative is expanding near schools, along neighborhood greenways, and in pedestrian districts to improve visibility and reduce crashes. Vision clearance, or "daylighting," is a safety measure that sets back parking 20 feet near intersections and crossings. As part of this effort, over 200 intersections and crossings will be updated thanks to funding from Fixing Our Streets—Portland's voter-approved 10-cent gas tax for fixing city streets and making them safer for all—and a one-time investment in 2024 from the city’s General Fund.
Yellow curbs, bilingual educational lawn signs
PBOT will paint curbs adjacent to schools yellow to increase awareness and create visibility around the intersection. In areas where there are no curbs PBOT will install “no parking” signs. Bilingual educational lawn signs will accompany the yellow curbs to help inform school and local community members about the change. The current funding allows PBOT to complete this work at a small number of schools across the city. PBOT’s goal is to eventually apply these changes to all schools citywide, but is only able to support these locations at this time due to limited funding.
Learn more about vision clearance
Community spotlight: Amy Higgs from the Eco-School Network
We're interested in sharing stories about the amazing work that everyday folks in Portland do to make our community better. Amy Higgs is one of those people helping kids and their families walk, bike, and roll to and from school safely!
Amy is the Executive Director of Eco-School Network, a community of Oregon parents, teachers, and students making their K-8 schools healthier, greener, and more resilient. Twelve years ago, she became an Eco-School Network parent volunteer, where she was motivated by an inspiring community to make change. Now she gets to care for that community each day!
Continue reading to learn more about Amy.
Question: Why did you get started helping kids and their families walk, bike, and roll to and from school?
Answer: When my kids, now 18 and 21, were little, they went to The Emerson School, a small charter in downtown Portland. Families loved the school, transportation was a real hurdle, especially for families juggling longer commutes, more traffic, and more systemic barriers.
With support from Eco-School Network’s Changemaker Training, other parents and I collaborated on solutions like a safer intersections, carpool signs-ups, walking school buses, bike buses, and “TriMet Trekkers”—group trips on public transit. Families started walking, rolling, and connecting in new ways, with kids arriving to school more energized. It showed us that small steps can make a difference.
The support I found in Eco-School Network kept me at it, first as a volunteer, now as Executive Director. Today, I love supporting K–8 students, parents, and teachers across Oregon who make their schools greener and healthier. They design their own solutions, from safer walking and biking to gardens, waste reduction, and climate action.
Q: What is one bit of wisdom for people who want to do something like what you're doing?
A: Sometimes the families most affected by transportation challenges can't show up to planning meetings. Making sure their voices are heard, whether through informal conversations or flexible ways to participate, makes the work stronger. And if we can make the gatherings fun, offer food and social connection at the same time, that’s even better! Some of my favorite memories involved walking school buses with popsicles, bubbles, boom boxes, and great conversations.
Q: What is something you've learned while doing this work?
A: I felt urgency for climate action at first, and hoped that everyone would participate in active transportation to school. But when parents apologized to me for driving, I realized I’d unintentionally made them feel judged. Getting kids to school is deeply personal, shaped by distance, work, physical ability, and more. I found that offering support, encouragement, and easy, fun options creates inclusion and helps families make sustainable choices.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: The parents and kids in the Eco-School Network keep me going. They care deeply and make meaningful things happen in their schools, often in the face of real barriers. Coming together with this community to share ideas, celebrate wins, and lift each other up turns what can feel overwhelming into something joyful and doable.
Q: What’s one thing you’d like people to better understand about your work?
A: That small actions at schools can ripple outward. A single walking school bus, a bike bus, or a no-idling campaign might look simple, but these efforts shift habits, shape values, and empower kids to see themselves as stewards. Over time, that creates momentum for bigger community changes.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
A: I’m from a small town in Maine and am a mom to a teen and a young adult. I’ve long been passionate about environmental justice and sustainability education. When I’m not working, you’ll find me floating on a lake or being playfully head-butted by my daughter’s pygmy goats, Blueberry and Muffin.
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
Teaching traffic safety at Portland State University's Transportation Summer Camp
Portland Bureau of Transportation's Safe Routes to School and Vision Zero programs presented to high school participants at Portland State University's Transportation Summer Camp, sponsored by the Transportation Research and Education Center. Since 2016, the free, week-long summer camp offers an immersive introduction to transportation careers and the workings of transportation systems in Portland. Students heard from guest speakers, developed data collection and STEM skills, and went on daily field trips.
Meaghan Russell, Safe Routes to School's Safety Education and Outreach Coordinator, led a game of Jeopardy! to learn about driver safety from our Transportation Academy high school transportation education program. Campers asked incisive questions about regulation and the future of transportation safety. We appreciated the opportunity to present and left feeling optimistic about next generation of transportation professionals!
Learn more about PSU's Transportation Summer Camp
Save the date: 2025-26 walk+roll events
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
Friday, November 14
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day gives children the chance to celebrate Ruby’s courage by walking to school and is the perfect opportunity to teach children about the civil rights movement and make connections to today’s collective efforts for change.
Winter Walk+Roll to School Day
Wednesday, February 4
Put on your snow or rain boots and walk or roll to school while enjoying winter time in Oregon on Winter Walk+Roll to School Day.
Earth Month
April
Safe Routes to School celebrates the Earth every year in April for Earth Month. Walk and roll to school all month or choose a specific day to celebrate.
El Camino De Dolores - Dolores Huerta Walk+Roll to School Day
Friday, April 10
Dolores Huerta Walk+Roll to School Day honors Dolores Huerta's birthday to promote walking, biking, and rolling to school.
Walk+Roll May Challenge
May
For the Walk+Roll May Challenge, we encourage schools to plan events to promote walking and rolling during the month of May.
National Bike+Roll to School Day
Wednesday, May 6
National Bike+Roll to School Day is an opportunity to tune up your bike and take a ride to school.
Portland Sunday Parkways debuts brand-new downtown route Sept. 14
your calendars for an epic Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event, presented by Kaiser Permanente, on September 14! The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will create a 2.3-mile block party in the heart of the city, showcasing SW Broadway and SW Park Avenue between Oak and Harrison Streets. Park your bike and walk as you explore downtown businesses, parks, and cultural destinations along the way.
Join one of seven guided bike bus routes to Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways! PBOT is partnering with Mike Bennett Studios to include seven “critters” that are featured on our bike bus map, which will start in different parts of the city. Route leaders will lead two inbound and two outbound rides. Inbound bike bus rides are scheduled to arrive at noon and 1:00 p.m. Outbound rides are estimated to depart at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Make a weekend of it and bring Sunday Parkways to your front door! Visitors from across Oregon and the metro area are encouraged to book a hotel room downtown September 12-14 as part of Portland Staycation Weekend, sponsored by Travel Portland in partnership with Sunday Parkways. Be a tourist in your city and explore new places and spaces or visit your tried-and-true favorites in the heart of the city. Enjoy discounts and special packages at downtown hotels, restaurants, and retailers all weekend long.
Learn more about Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways
Take the Green Loop survey!
The Green Loop is a concept for a 6-mile linear park and multiuse path connecting the Central City. Share your feedback on the Green Loop vision, how you'd use it, priorities, and trade-offs. Take the Green Loop survey by Monday, September 15.
Your input will inform the work to come in the Green Loop Concept Plan: refining the Green Loop route, cross-section, and implementation strategies.
Eco-School Network: Find your people, grow your impact
Already passionate about helping kids walk and bike to school, or looking for ways to make your school healthier and greener? Eco-School Network offers a free Changemaker Training that connects you with a community of parents and teachers who share your goals. They know how hard it can be to launch and sustain initiatives on your own, so they make sure you don’t have to.
Free training gives you access to:
- Regular gatherings to swap ideas and celebrate wins
- Mentorship and retreats to keep you motivated and inspired
- Seed funding to boost your school projects
Whether it’s a walk and bike initiative, a school garden, waste reduction, or a student green team, you’ll have the social support and tools you need to make lasting change.
Check out our short video and sign up for an upcoming information session at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 29 or Thursday, October 2.
Learn more about the Eco-School Network Changemaker Training
Grant opportunities
Metro Regional Travel Options Small Grant
Apply by Monday, September 15
The Metro Regional Travel Options (RTO) Small Grants program is comprised of technical assistance and small awards ($500-$5,000) intended to fund specific, one-time purchases of materials and services to support events, education, and outreach activities that support travel options use.
Apply for a Meto Regional Travel Options Small Grant
Metro Community Placemaking Grant
Apply by Friday, October 3
The Metro Community Placemaking grants program supports community-led, equity-centered, arts and culture efforts that strengthen people's connections to each other and places they care about. Applications for the upcoming grant cycle will be accepted Friday, August 15 through Friday, October 3. Metro will award grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
Apply for a Metro Community Placemaking Grant
Child Passenger Safety Week: Sept. 21-27
Child Passenger Safety Week is recognized each year in September and brings heightened awareness to how parents and caregivers can keep children safe in vehicles. Car seats and booster seats provide protection for infants and children in a crash, but it’s important to make sure your child is in the right seat for their age and size—and that the seat is installed correctly. Use National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Car Seat Finder to make sure your child is in the right seat.
Get your car seat inspected
As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, National Seat Check Saturday— on September 27—is a day for you to receive free instruction on how to correctly install and use the right car seats for your children. Use NHTSA’s Car Seat Inspection locator to find a location near you.
Every day in 2023, on average, two children under 14 were killed and 345 were injured in traffic crashes while riding in passenger vehicles. In 2023, 43% of children killed in car crashes were unrestrained.
Learn more about Child Passenger Safety Week
Week Without Driving: Sept. 29-Oct. 5
Did you know there’s a nationwide event called Week Without Driving?
Communities everywhere are embracing this week and considering how nondrivers in their communities move. It’s a week to rethink how to build more accessible places for everyone. Whether you're walking, rolling, biking, catching public transit or a ride from someone, the Week will inspire you to reimagine our streets. So, mark your calendars, spread the
word, and join us September 29 through October 5!
Learn more about Week Without Driving
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.
Office of Violence Prevention Program Manager
Apply by Monday, September 8
The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) Program Manager is a highly public-facing leadership position that provides overall management, vision, and accountability for OVP activities. This position strategically plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the work of OVP programs and grantees and is responsible for developing, implementing, and achieving the OVP's objectives overseeing staff, policies, and program delivery.
Learn more about the Office of Violence Prevention Program Manager
Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund Committee
Apply by Sunday, September 28
The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) Committee is seeking leaders to help ensure the most impacted Portlanders are prepared for a changing climate as we move toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The PECF is responsible for investing in community-led and community-inspired projects that reduce carbon emissions while expanding workforce pathways and economic opportunity for communities that have faced barriers to employment in the clean energy economy.
What we're reading
- New York City intersections see one-third fewer pedestrian injuries with longer head-start intervals (Phys.org)
- Bike bus + pop up lane = A better way to get back to school (and advocate) (Streetsblog USA)
- Six things any city can do to improve bicycling (PeopleForBikes)
- The Dutch intersection is coming to save your life (Bloomberg CityLab)
- Why school buses are painted yellow (WANE 15)
- Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death (Yle)
- Hot car deaths are preventable: Tips to keep your loved ones safe (USA Today)
- Opinion: How daylighting can allow NYC’s streets to fight flooding (CityLimits)
Parts of this document were drafted with the support of ChatGPT. The content was edited and fact-checked by city staff.