Bike it! Walk it! Santa Monica’s Next Generation on the Move

Pro Walk Pro Bike Sept 12, 2012

Introductions Alison Kendall, Kendall Planning + Design

Tara Griffith, Samohi Solar Alliance, Student

Gabriel Schier, SMASH Bike Club, Student

Peter Dzewaltowski, City of Santa Monica

School staff

PTSA

Community Success story: Bike it! Walk it! Days • 2007- Samohi Bike it Day

• 2009- Middle Schools join • Board of Ed SRTS Resolution

• 2010 10 schools with over 25% of trips car-free.

2011 14 schools with over 30% car free

2012 14 schools with over 35% car free

2007 Samohi 100 bikes 2009 Samohi, JAMS, Lincoln 300 bikes 2011 SMMUSD 600 bikes, 2900 car-free

Bike It Walk It Day

1. Promote safe walking and bicycling to increase physical activity

LA County Adult Obesity Rates

1997 2005

2. Traffic Safety Where it’s safe, get kids walking and biking

Where it’s not safe, make changes

3. Air Quality • Measurably better around schools with more

walkers and cyclists

• Main student motivator: Environmental concerns

1. Education: Bike Skills Class Teach bike skills

Create traffic safety awareness

Foster life-long safety habits

Includes parents, students and staff

2010-present

2. Encouragement Increase popularity

of walking and biking

Is an easy way to start SRTS programs

Emphasize fun of walking and biking

3. Enforcement: Crossing Guards

Increase awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists

Improve driver behavior

Help children follow traffic rules

Decrease parent perceptions of danger

4. Engineering: SRTS input Create safer, more

accessible settings for walking and biking

Bicycle Action Plan improvements

Safe Routes to School Workshops

5. Evaluation Is the program making a difference?

JAMS data Oct 2010 to 2011

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2010 2011

DroveScooterBusCarpoolBikeWalk

Lincoln MS, JAMS, SAMOHI Participation – Spring 2009-11

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50

100

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Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln JAMS JAMS JAMS SaMoHi SaMoHi SaMoHi

2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011

skate

bus

bike

walk

Santa Monica High School

Lincoln vs JAMS Bike it Walk it Day: (Pouring Rain vs Sun) Oct 2011

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Lincoln 2011 JAMS 2011

DroveScooterBusCarpoolBikeWalk

Participation by School: Oct 2011

Helmet use decline, biking increases

JAMS Helmet use since 2009 down to 61% from 75%, Lincoln use down to 70% from 85%

High School Rate 25%-45%, Elementary 64-100%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

JAMS Helmets Lincoln Helmets

2009201020112012

Develop a Safe Routes Action Plan

Identify priorities

Roles: City, District, School, Parent, Student

Resources

Access during Construction and Beyond

Principal: Suzanne Webb

Scope of Work: Replace one-story west wing with new two-story building including library, classrooms, chorus room and science labs. Modernize second floor of main building into new classrooms and science labs.

Architect: DLR Group/WWCOT

CHPS: 44 CHPS points targeted (District goal is 29 points)

Square Feet: New Construction: 33,302 SF Modernization: 7,928 SF Demolition: 12,694 SF

Construction Budget: $17,524,000

Relocatables: Completed

Technology: Completed

Modernization of Building E: Completed

Replacement of Classroom Building C and Site Improvements: 1st quarter 2012 – 4th quarter 2013

Lincoln Middle School Project Overview

4.23.12

Lincoln Middle School – Project Overview

New Courtyard and Entry

New Classroom Building

Reconfigured Entrance

(Alternative) Replace Field Resurfaced Tennis Courts

Reconfigured Fire Lane & Parking

Relocatables

Modernization of 2nd Floor Classrooms & Science Labs

4.23.12

Lincoln Access during Construction

Construction: Bike Access

Bike Racks and Bike Access Samohi: 100 bike capacity Bike it! Day 250 bikes

Lincoln : 50 bikes capacity; Bike it day: 100 bikes.

SMASH: 6 bikes capacity: Bike it Day: 80 bikes

V. ENCOURAGEMENT

1. Events

2. Walking school buses

3. Individual competition

4. Contests

5. Route map promotion

Encouragement programs

1. Events: JAMS and Lincoln celebrate International Walk to School Day Oct 2011

Local News and Video

2. Walking school buses, bicycle trains

3. Rewards: stickers, bike gear, healthy snacks

Foster life-long habits

4. Route maps

Student Leadership in middle and high schools Make it relevant

Encourage students to take ownership

Mentor student leaders

Civic engagement

Make it cool and fun!

Education programs SMASH Bike Skills Class

1. Educating school students Pedestrian and

bicyclist safety

Personal security

Health benefits

Environment

Pedestrian safety skills How and where to cross

Bicyclist safety

Preparing for the ride

Personal security

Health and environment Health benefits of

physical activity

Concern for the environment

Enthusiastic, well supported teachers

Lesson plans provided

Parent, student involvement

School-based education

School Based Bike and Pedestrian Training-2012-13

JAMS, Lincoln MS + 2 Elementary Schools

Walking School Buses and Bike Trains

Personal, Pedestrian and Bike Safety Workshops for students and parents

Walk/Bicycle Safety Education in PE class

Curriculum and Instructional Materials

Clubs and after school activities SMASH Bike Club 2010

Teach and reinforce safety skills JAMS informal “Bike Train” led by parent cyclist, formal program in 2013

2. Educating parents

Pedestrian and bicyclist safety

Safe driving near the school

School pick up and drop off procedures

Safe driving near schools, pick up and drop off rules

Strategies for reaching parents bikeitwalkit.org website, E-newsletter

Ongoing Programs Bike it! Walk it! Days in October and May

SRTS Task Forces at schools under construction

PTA Bike Helmet Promotion, Bike Skills Workshops

Smart Ways to School Outreach

Still Needed:

Affordable Bikes and Repair Options

More Bike Parking at every school

Ongoing funding and SRTS Coordination

Two Words: Bike It!

The Samohi Solar Alliance A student-run, grass roots

nonprofit working to inspire environmental awareness, education, and tangible change

Over 800 passionate students, faculty, alumni, parents, and community organizations

SSA consists of four subdivisions: Education (Environmental

Seminars) Structural Changes (Solar

Panels and Recycling) Outreach (Public Contact) Events (BIKE IT!)

Bike It! Basics

SSA took action to challenge the car culture on campus.

The resulting initiative took the form of two major “Bike It” events each year

Collaboration with the PTA, school board, the city of Santa Monica, and local businesses

A campus sensation at Samohi!

One day where alternative transportation is fully appreciated

All participants receive a popsicle during lunch celebration

Bikers receive free Biker Breakfast

Loud music and dancing

Success!

40% of school participates

Tremendous growth:

25 bikes average on rack in 2007

Over 100 bikes average in 2010

Gets students out of their car for the first time to experience how fun and easy biking or walking can be, making them more willing to turn it into a routine.

And Not So Successful...

Lack of Helmets

Difficulty in making Bike-it! Day on the same date across the district

Weather

A Growing Movement • Expansion to other schools in the

district

• First event had over 800 participants in middle school level

• Greater goals would be to spread Bike It! movement throughout the country

• Organizing middle school seminars to bring awareness about the environment

Three Steps to student-led Bike Training

SMASH Bike Club

Step 1: What do we want?

-Promote health and safety

-Encourage walking and biking to school

Three Steps to student-led Bike Training

SMASH Bike Club

Step 2: What do we need?

-7th grade Bike it Blog

-Bike it/Walk It day shows need for bike safety training

Three Steps to student-led Bike Training

SMASH Bike Club

Step 3: How do we get there?

-Permission: Teachers and Principal

-$$$: PTSA

-Awareness: Getting parents and students Interested through campus presence (Tables at events, flyers, newsletter blogs)

Challenges and Successes

SMASH Bike Club

Preparation Curriculum

Finding student teaching staff/teacher supervisors

Classroom visits/sign-up days

Challenges Scheduling

Location

Membership

Challenges and Successes

SMASH Bike Club

Successes

-3 kids off training wheels

-Higher elementary participation on 2nd bike day due to increased parent support

The Future

SMASH Bike Club

Get ‘em young

Continuity

-New leadership needs to be in place before old leadership leaves

Membership

-As extra-curricular activity it is hard to find enough members

-Attach bike club to established events at school

The Future

SMASH Bike Club

Cooperation

Schools

-Middle schools working together

-Middle and high schools working together

Off-campus Support

-Working with school district and city to take students off campus after school and take student-led training to the next level

City of Santa Monica’s Role Policy Development

LUCE & Bicycle Action Plan

Infrastructure Enhancements Bike Center & Beach Bicycle

Campus

Promote Safety & Encouragement Activities Support of Bike it! Walk it!

Days

School Coordination & Program Sustainability Participation in SRTS

Workshops School Construction Funding Resources

Bike Planning

“Bicycle Friendly Business”

Bicycle Training

Bicycle education is available to everyone

Public Awareness

New Infrastructure

Thoughtful Designs

Bike Parking

Bike Valet

Questions