4th Safe Routes to School National Conference
August 13-15, 2013 — Sacramento, CA
DRAFT PROGRAM
Monday, August 12, 2013
1:00-5:00 pm
Safe Routes to School National Partnership Annual Meeting
Gardenia
4:00-6:00 pm
The Glides
Conference Pre-registration
5:00-6:00 pm
Morgan’s
Safe Routes Social
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
7:30 am-5:30 pm Conference Registration
The Glides
8:00 am-12:00 pm Concurrent Optional Tours of Local Model Projects
10:30-11:45 am
Concurrent Morning Breakouts (8)
Tofanelli Room
Mapping Out State Strategies Responding to the New Transportation
Law [CM 1.25]
In the summer of 2012, Congress passed a new transportation law, MAP21 that made significant changes to Safe Routes to School funding by
consolidating it into a larger program called Transportation Alternatives.
While there is no longer a dedicated federal pot of funding for Safe Routes
to School, state departments of transportation have the power to retain a
standalone Safe Routes to School program and to supplement available
funding to ensure that this movement continues to flourish. In this session,
participants will hear about the latest implementation news on the federal
law, ramifications for local Safe Routes to School supporters and ways to
make Safe Routes to School projects more competitive in this new
paradigm. Speakers will share examples of how Michigan, Mississippi,
California and other states are responding to MAP-21 and strategies
advocates have used to sustain Safe Routes to School within their state.
Speakers
Moderator: Margo Pedroso, Deputy Director, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Michael Kapp, Administrator, Office of Economic Development, Michigan
Department of Transportation
Jay Thompson, Mississippi Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Jeanie Ward-Waller, California Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to
School National Partnership
Carr Room
A Lifetime of Bike Safety Learning from Elementary School to
College [CM 1.25]
This session weaves together the experiences of four programs; a middle
school Safety Education program, a middle school mentoring program,
The Major Taylor Project and Go By Bike. These are programs of the
Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Cascade Bicycle Club. The Safety
Education program has been teaching basic handling and traffic safety
skills to middle school students in 30+ districts around Washington since
2010. The mentoring program at Salmon Bay School in Seattle trains 8th
graders as peer bike mentors to assist adult leaders on an annual
overnight bike trip to camp. Cascade Bicycle Club’s Major Taylor Project is
a year-round youth development program focused on creating access and
opportunities for high school students in diverse and underserved
communities. Go By Bike is a safety education and encouragement
program for college students. The Bicycle Alliance has implemented a 1credit Physical Education course at four local colleges.
Speakers
Moderator: Liz McNett-Crowl, Healthy Communities Specialist, Skagit
Valley Hospital
Joshua Miller, Go By Bike Program Manager, Bicycle Alliance of
Washington, SRTS National Partnership
Seth Schromen-Wawrin, Safe Routes to School Program Manager,
Bicycle Alliance of Washington
Robin Randels, Classes Coordinator, Cascade Bicycle Club
Beavis Room
Middle-School Maladies: Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to
SRTS Implementation [CM 1.25]
This session will provide a basis for understanding why previous program
efforts may not have yielded positive results in the Middle School setting
and a venue for developing ideas to increase effective middle school
participation in SRTS. Participants will discuss suggestions for bringing
the "cool factor" to middle school students by enticing them to become
involved in active transportation to school including skateboard and
scooter use, social media and video contests. This session will also help
to identify and overcome barriers hindering the success of SRTS
programs in middle schools such as bullying, fighting, vandalism,
tardiness and truancy. Large and small group interactive components will
be used to create dialogue concerning
issues specific to young teens that could impede safe, non-destructive and
legal arrival to and from school. Representatives from law enforcement,
mental health services, and middle school administration will offer insights
as panel members as well as small group facilitators.
Speakers
Moderator: Marsie Rosenberg Huling, Program Coordinator, County of
Riverside Department of Public Health, Safe Routes to School
Program
Tana Ball, Executive Director, Youth Educational Sports, Inc.
Wendy Alfsen, Executive Director, California WALKS
MariaJose Diaz Ayon, Student, CalWALKS Youth Leader
Christopher Chavez, Student, CalWALKS Youth Leader
Traci Rebiejo, Officer, Livermore Police Department, CA
Bondi Room
Shared Use of Public Facilities and Efforts to Make Our Shared
Spaces Safer [CM 1.25]
Opening public facilities, such as school gymnasiums and playgrounds, for
community use is a strategy that is being implemented across the country
to address health goals such as reducing rates of obesity and chronic
disease. This is a vital time to maximize resources and efficiently use
existing public buildings and structures to advance public health goals.
However, when parents don't feel safe in their communities, they are
hesitant to let their children play outside, walk to school, or utilize a public
park. In this session we will come to understand the national landscapes
of shared use (joint use) policies, come to understand community
strategies that can support practitioners and advocates in their work to
prevent chronic disease in communities heavily impacted by violence, as
well as address barriers to park usage as a safe passage to schools, with
a case study of the Sacramento HEAL zone.
Speakers
Moderator: Robert Ping, Technical Assistance Director, Safe Routes to
School National Partnership
Mikaela Randolph, Shared Use Campaign Manager, Safe Routes to
School National Partnership
Dalila Butler, Program Coordinator, Prevention Institute
Shaunda Johnson, HEAL Zone Coordinator, Health Education Council
Bataglieri Room
A Step Ahead: Integrating Safe Routes Planning into School
Construction and Expansion [CM 1.25]
Safe routes to school (SRTS) planning has typically been conducted years
after school construction, when problems begin to surface and strategies
are needed to improve pedestrian and bicycle access and safety. But what
if SRTS principles could be incorporated from the outset as part of school
expansion or new school design? Arlington County, Virginia has
pioneered such an approach. This panel session will discuss a new
collaboration between Arlington County Transportation and Arlington
Public Schools to incorporate multi-modal planning and transportation
demand management as part of new school construction and existing
school expansion projects. Panelists will describe recent school planning
processes, and discuss the benefits and challenges from three different
perspectives: county transportation, public school facilities and operations,
and architectural design of the new school site. Learn how SRTS planning
can be integral to larger transportation goals while also helping school
systems mitigate neighborhood concerns about school construction and
expansion.
Speakers
Moderator: Jim Elliott, AICP, Transportation Planner, Toole Design Group
Dennis Leach, AICP, Director of Transportation, Department of
Environmental Services, Arlington County
John Chadwick, Assistant Superintendent, Facilities and Operations,
Arlington Public Schools
Lionel White, Director of Facilities Planning, Facilities and Operations,
Arlington Public Schools
Falor Room
Addressing SRTS in School District Policies: How to Work with
School Boards [CM 1.25]
Engaging schools in ongoing Safe Routes to School efforts can be a
difficult long game. This session will familiarize attendees with school
districts and their boards, identify their priorities, and give the advocate an
overview of strategies for influencing individual school boards, including
how to overcome fear of liability. In addition, this session will educate
attendees on the types of policies that can be adopted at the district level,
ranging from traffic safety education in the classrooms to comprehensive
school siting policies. The session will showcase a new tool for creating
supportive policies and focus on real world experience from advocates
who have made inroads with their school boards. Finally, participants will
play a game of Policy Jeopardy in which they get to put their new
understanding of school board policies into action!
Speakers
David Cowan, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
Sara Zimmerman, Senior Staff Attorney and Program Director, National
Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Benjamin Winig, Senior Staff Attorney & Program Director, ChangeLab
Solutions
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP/PP, Senior Research Specialist, Alan M.
Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers- The State University of New
Jersey
Teri Burns, Senior Director, Policy & Programs, CA School Boards
Association
Compagno Room
Evaluating Complete Streets Benefits [CM 1.25]
This workshop will discuss the benefits of improving transport system
diversity (improving walking, cycling and public transit), and describe tools
for quantifying and monetizing the benefits of "Complete Streets" policies
that result in more multi-modal roadways. Complete Streets can provide
many direct and indirect benefits including improved accessibility for nondrivers, user savings and affordability, energy conservation and emission
reductions, improved community livability, improved public fitness and
health, and support for strategic planning objectives such as reduced
sprawl. Conventional transport economic evaluation tends to overlook
many of these impacts and so tends to undervalue Complete Streets
policies. The session will discuss new analysis tools that can provide more
comprehensive analysis of Complete Streets benefits and will include an
exercise through which participants will discuss how to apply these
concepts.
Speakers
Paul Zykofsky, Associate Director, Local Government Commission
Richard Hartman, AICP, CNU-a, JD, Transitopia
BHK Room
Successful Safe Routes: Top Down or Bottom Up [CM 1.25]
Learn how two state approaches, “top down” and “bottom up”, are creating
momentum for statewide SRTS programs. Top Down: Ohio SRTS has
been led by the DOT with defined, focused assistance of select consultant
teams, supporting efforts in 74 of 88 counties. In 2012, the SRTS National
Partnership added a statewide advocate. Now ODOT, the consultant
teams and the National Partnership work seamlessly to improve walking
and cycling across Ohio. Bottom Up: Minnesota health advocates were
the leaders supporting SRTS efforts by their DOT and leveraging federal
funds from SRTS, Community Transformation Grants and state prevention
funds. Now, Minnesota has a state DOT incorporating SRTS and
complete streets concepts across the agency, and an advocacy
community using lessons of unfunded projects to make the case for the
state funded program. Through stories, strategies and tools, Ohio and
Minnesota will share their different directions that create dynamic SRTS
partnerships and programs.
Speakers
Moderator: Jill Chamberlain, Senior Project Manager, MN SRTS Network
Organizer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Nicole Campbell, Safe Routes to School Program Administrator,
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Kate Moening, Ohio Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
11:45 am-1:30 pm Lunch Break – (participants are on their own)
1:30-1:45 pm
Grand Nave BR
Welcome and Acknowledgements
Speakers
Conference MC: Larry Robinson, Transportation and Land Use
Coordinator, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Deb Hubsmith, Founding Director, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
Lauren Marchetti, Director, National Center for Safe Routes to School
Vice-Mayor Angelique Ashby, City of Sacramento, CA
1:30-3:15 pm
Grand Nave BR
Kick-off Plenary: Building Partnerships to Grow the Walking
Movement [CM 1.75]
The Every Body Walk! Collaborative was formed to inspire, implement and
sustain a multi-sectoral strategy to advance walking and walkability
nationwide. The collaborative serves as the nexus of the growing national
walking movement by building partnerships, taking coordinated actions,
and supporting campaigns and community-based projects. Its goals are
two-fold: encourage everyone to walk, and improve policies and practices
that will make communities more walkable.
This session will use a talk-show format, with panelists discussing their
organizations’ roles in supporting the efforts to build a national walking
movement. The panelists will share new resources, including a
documentary video, mobile app and new online program for schools, “Fire
Up Your Feet.” The panel will focus on how attendees can join the
movement and take action where they live, learn, work and play.
Speakers
Tyler Norris, Vice President, Total Health Partnerships, Kaiser
Permanente
Deb Hubsmith, Founding Director, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
Scott Bricker, Executive Director, America Walks
Mary Pat King, Director of Programs & Partnerships, National PTA
Dr. Sandra Stenmark, Pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente
3:15-3:45 pm
Coffee Break
Grand Nave Foyer
3:45-5:00 pm
Concurrent Afternoon Breakouts (4)
Compagno Room
Increasing Volunteer Engagement through Incentives: Legality, Best
Practices, and Lessons Learned [CM 1.25]
Many SRTS professionals are unsure if paying stipends in SRTS
programs is an allowable use of federal funding. Additionally, confusion
exists around the influence stipends have on the recipients’ perception of
the work, and long-term program sustainability. This session addresses
“best practices” associated with providing financial incentives, including
lessons learned and other factors contributing to the success of SRTS
program incentives for different populations. Three experienced SRTS
program coordinators from PedNet Coalition, WALKSacramento and
WalkSanDiego will present on 1) how stipends were used for the
operations of daily Walking School Bus Programs consisting of 29 routes,
500 children and 200 volunteers, 2) how stipends were used to motivate
parent volunteers to take ownership of encouragement programs, and 3)
how adding an intergenerational component involving seniors and
students can benefit and provide sustainability to SRTS programs.
Speakers
Moderator: Robert Johnson, Director of Consulting, The PedNet Coalition,
Inc.
Kaley Lyons, Project Coordinator, WALKSanDiego
Alexis Kelso, Safe Routes to School Project Manager, WALKSacramento
BHK Room
Active Minds: Safe Routes to Schools in the Classroom [CM 1.25]
Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) curricula are more than just safety
trainings! In this presentation, first learn how to engage students
and adapt for the unique brains and diverse needs of young students from
a credentialed classroom teacher from Marin County, California. Explore
successful instruction strategies that accommodate the cognitive
development, learning styles, and special needs found in today’s
elementary classrooms. Then, discover how the Common Core State
Standards align with SRTS subjects through an introduction to the
California Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum, developed by the
California Healthy Kids and After School Resource Centers for the
California Department of Public Health. Finally, experience activities from
a middle school science and engineering curriculum centered on bicycles.
The curriculum, supported by community bicycle partnerships and piloted
by science teachers in Minneapolis Public Schools, allows students to
examine the evolution and historical impact of bicycles, conduct
experiments, and reverse-engineer bicycles.
Speakers
Moderator: Lisa Rawson, SRTS Technical Assistance Resource Center
Project Coordinator, California Department of Public Health
James Sievert, Lead Instructor, Marin County Safe Routes to Schools
Angela Ranae Amarillas, Program Manager, California Healthy Kids
Resource Center
Elizabeth Stretch, Science Teacher, Minneapolis Public Schools
Tofanelli Room
ECO2school High School Leadership Program [CM 1.25]
ECO2school is a student leadership walk and bike program designed to
harness young peoples’ natural enthusiasm and bring student leaders to
the table. ECO2school reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
saves costs on transportation. It promotes healthy living, safe commutes,
biking and transit ridership, traffic decongestion and improved air quality
for the entire community. We work with green clubs and leadership
classes to bring real life learning applications to schools. Students use
online gaming technology to compete individually, by class and by school
to log green miles and reduce their carbon footprint. Who better to hear
from about this program than the students themselves? Students will be
sharing a variety of perspectives on what inspires them to be activists,
what tools and strategies they used to ignite their peers and the different
actions they used to motivate educate and encourage their fellow students
to action. In addition people will get to see and participate in the latest
tools in online gaming used to engage High School students.
Speakers
Amy Jolly, ECO2school Program Manager, Climate Protection Campaign
Andrew Casteel, Principal Web Developer, Collectively
Jasmine Jolly, Student, Montgomery High School, Santa Rosa, CA
Sam Perry, Student, Montgomery High School, Santa Rosa, CA
Carr Room
Evaluation and Launching a Statewide Network = Sustainable
Programs [CM 1.25]
Come to this workshop and leave with an understanding of survey tools
and benefits for non-infrastructure programming and with next steps to
creating a goal-oriented network in your community/region/state!
The Massachusetts SRTS program launched a survey tool to assess how
students get to and from school, which maps and measures distance to
school in terms of walksheds and bikesheds. The tool generates a report
including maps, data tables, and more to help plan for safe and healthy
SRTS initiatives.
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance works with partners in a cohesive
statewide network called the Oregon Walk+Bike Network, Our network is
growing, and our goals are becoming clearer. We are now able to reach
for the larger goals that none of us could accomplish individually. It all
started with a small group facilitated meeting focusing on shared goals.
If you are interested in long-term sustainability, this workshop is for you!
Speakers
Samantha Fonseca-Moreira, SRTS Statewide Coordinator,
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
LeeAnne Fergason, Education Programs Manager, Bicycle Transportation
Alliance
Concurrent Mind Mixer Sessions (4)
Bataglieri Room
Emmys, Oscars, and Safe Routes: Passion-Driven Docudramedy
Featuring Seven Zealous Advocates [CM 1.25]
What does being an advocate mean? Passion, zeal, drive, dedication —
plus knowledge, expertise, and ability to convene leaders to leverage
resources — are what get stuff done. This fast, funny and passionate mind
mixer highlights the dynamic strategies Safe Routes to School National
Partnership advocates employ as part of the RWJF-funded State Network
Project - a strategic campaign to support the reduction of childhood
obesity with a focus on lower-income communities. A mighty goal and the
right people are on it! Session line-up includes a real “Modern Family” of
seven zealous dynamos who are shaking it up across the country. In
seven minutes each, they’ll highlight successes in coalition building,
dedicated funding for walking and biking, Complete Streets policy
development and implementation, prioritizing health in project selection,
and shared use agreements so kids have more opportunities to be active.
In between presentations, be prepared to “pop” with what jazzes you!
Speakers
Moderator: Ryan Day, State Network Manager, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Kate Moening, Ohio Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
Christy Smith, Tennessee Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Jeanie Ward-Waller, California Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to
School National Partnership
Jay Thompson, Mississippi Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Nora Shepard, New Jersey Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Heather Murphy, Florida Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Falor Room
Three Ways to Boost Your Program’s Effectiveness with Internet
Tools [CM 1.25]
Keep up with evolving online capabilities! Our panelists will help you take
your presentations to the next level, upgrade your student travel tally data
collection and get more out of your program’s Facebook presence. Learn
how to go a step beyond Google Maps and Google Earth maps to develop
an interactive Google Fusion Tables Map. A live demonstration of how to
create a free, graphic, analytic and video-based Fusion Map will enable
you to develop maps for communicating your program accomplishments.
Learn how to make data collection easy and efficient while also appealing
to youth by creating your own free and interactive QR (Quick Response)
Codes and SurveyMonkey surveys while participating in a sample survey.
And learn how to focus your Facebook posting practices to enhance reach
and interaction through a simple program of testing and analysis. Each of
our segments includes interactive online activities, so bring your laptop or
wireless device and get ready to learn and share!
Speakers
Moderator: Lauren Ledbetter, Associate, Alta Planning + Design
Rosie Mesterhazy, Alameda County Safe Routes to School Site
Coordinator, TransForm
Tonya Veitch, Health Planning Specialist II, Santa Clara County Public
Health Department
Doug Nicholas, Communications Coordinator, National Center for Safe
Routes to School
Beavis Room
Stepping Up Urban & Rural SRTS Programs through Events,
Programs, & Busing Policies [CM 1.25]
Do you want your Walk to School Day Event to be the event that everyone
remembers? Learn how the City of Phoenix organizes and executes the
largest Walk to School Day Event in the Country and has served as a
catalyst in sustaining local SRTS Programs. Developing and implementing
Safe Routes to School Programs can be challenging in rural school
districts. Attendees will learn how school districts in Wisconsin have
developed creative solutions through weekly challenge programs and
utilized a walking program to meeting PE curriculum standards to enhance
local SRTS Programs. Is your local SRTS Program looking for direction on
how to work with a school district to reduce or eliminate busing? School
districts across New Jersey provided feedback about busing reductions,
changes or eliminations of courtesy busing within their district. Attendees
will learn the best practices and strategies for working with school districts
regarding eliminating or reducing busing.
Speakers
Moderator: Melissa Kraemer Badtke, Safe Routes to School Coordinator,
East Central WI Regional Planning Commission
Donald Cross, School Safety Coordinator, City of Phoenix Street
Transportation Department
Kristin Grable, Principal, Readfield Elementary School, School District of
New London
Jack Grable, Student, Readfield Elementary School, New London
Sean Meehan, Project Coordinator, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation
Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Bondi Room
Broadening Outreach of Safe Routes to School to Children with
Disabilities [CM 1.25]
Encouraging all children, including children with disabilities, to be
physically active and participate in walk and bike to school programs is a
specified goal in the federal legislation that created SRTS. Children with
disabilities are at an even greater risk for obesity than their peers without
disabilities since their symptoms may impact the ability to participate, and
opportunities are not typically provided or offered as often as they are for
children without disabilities. Furthermore, parents of children with
disabilities are often hesitant due to the lack of proper supervision,
unfamiliarity with SRTS and other physical and emotional challenges.
This session will outline the problem, present the results of research and
interviews on this topic, and focus on determining methods and strategies
that will broaden efforts and outreach to include children with disabilities in
SRTS programs and events.
Speakers
Carolina Gutierrez, PhD, Assistant Director, University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine
Luke Hanson, Information Specialist, National Center on Health, Physical
Activity and Disability
Linda Patrick, Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator, Safe Routes
Michigan
Helen Russette, MPH Student, and GRA, Montana Disability and Health
Program, School of Public and Community Health, University of
Montana
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP/PP, Senior Research Specialist, Alan M.
Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers- The State University of New
Jersey
5:00-6:30 pm
Grand Nave BR
Evening Keynote Dinner
Taking “Steps” toward Healthier Communities [CM 1.5]
We are delighted to have Congresswoman Doris Matsui join us to provide
remarks about her Complete Streets legislation, and the connection to
creating safer and healthier places for our kids to live, learn and play.
Our health is not dictated just by our personal choices or the medical care
we receive, but is affected by many things we cannot easily control, such
as the places where we live, learn, work and play. Communities should be
designed and built to support healthy lifestyles for all residents, including
opportunities to incorporate physical activity into our daily lives and have
access to healthy, fresh food. Come hear from a California leader in public
health and a youth leader about how programs such as Safe Routes to
School are critically important to improving the health, welfare and safety
of children everywhere.
Conference MC: Larry Robinson, Transportation and Land Use
Coordinator, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (California - 6th District)
Craig Martinez, Program Manager, Neighborhoods, The California
Endowment
Vanessa Myte Hernandez, Recent Graduate, The Art Institute of
California; and Youth Organizer, WALKSacramento
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
7:30 am-5:30 pm Conference Registration
The Glides
7:30-8:30 am
Continental Breakfast
Coordinated Networking Activities
8:30-9:45 am
Grand Nave BR
Morning Plenary
Maximizing Opportunities for Safe and Active Transportation [CM
1.25]
Safe Routes to School programs are leading the way in combining
transportation safety and health objectives in communities across the
country. Successful programs have used an array of strategies
to encourage safer walking, bicycling and driving, and build safer walking
and bicycling environments. Initial results are exciting! Successful
programs are happening in counties, cities and across entire states. Hear
how Miami-Dade County, New York City and the State of California are
implementing thoughtful transportation planning and education to spur
active living and reduce child pedestrian deaths and injuries
Speakers
Moderator: Lauren Marchetti, Director, National Center for Safe Routes to
School
Perla Tabares Hantman, Chair, Miami-Dade County School Board
Kim Wiley-Schwartz, Asst. Commissioner for Education and Outreach,
New York City Department of Transportation
Brian Alconcel, Executive Engineering Assistant to the Chief of Division of
Traffic Operations, California Department of Transportation
9:45-10:15 am
Morning Break
Grand Nave Foyer
10:15-11:30 am
Concurrent Morning Breakouts (3)
Tofanelli Room
Improving Community Health through Joint Use Agreements [CM
1.25]
Thinking about establishing a joint or shared use agreement in your
community, but don’t know how? Participants in this interactive session
will gain valuable insight on the steps necessary to implementing joint use
agreements, with a focus on improving community health outcomes. A
brief introduction to the concept and variety of joint use agreements will be
provided, along with a review of key legal, policy, and political and
practical issues. Panelist will provide case study examples from Safe
Routes communities that have incorporated joint use agreements within
their planning and policy agendas, including a brief history of their
initiatives, followed by a moderated discussion emphasizing the role of
collaboration in securing funding and driving successful efforts. Panelist
will also highlight how major challenges were met in order to further
implementation, and review current outcomes at the individual, school,
and community level.
Speakers
Moderator: Daniel McNulty, Program Coordinator, KaBOOM!
Benjamin Winig, Senior Staff Attorney & Program Director, ChangeLab
Solutions
Nadine Levin, Consultant, Redwood City 2020: Safe Routes to School
Jay Thompson, Mississippi Advocacy Organizer, Safe Routes to School
National Partnership
Carr Room
East To West: Overcoming Obstacles with Creatively Engaging
Youth in Rural Communities [CM 1.25]
Elementary and Middle school students are creative, honest and able to
come up with solutions to complex issues without being bogged down by
barriers. These two presentations will provide real life examples of how
youth brought attention to the need for safe visible travel and places for
kids to walk and bike to school. From a rural setting without parental
supervision, who are already at work, the middle school students under
the guidance of the police cadets took on the challenge of walking
elementary students to school. From a rural setting designed for vehicle
travel, students advocated for greenway trails, safe crossings, and starting
school safety patrols. Learn what was accomplished by using local
resources and the energy of youth. In two very diverse communities
students are essential in creating successful safe routes to school.
Speakers
Moderator: Kendra Bridges, Safe Routes to School Project Coordinator,
Safe Routes Technical Assistance Resource Center, California
Department of Public Health
Tana Ball, Executive Director, Youth Education Sports, Inc.
Linda Hinojosa, R.N., Health Services Coordinator, Delano Union
Elementary School District
Vanessa Chapa, Delano Police Cadet, Walking Ambassadors Organizer
Eugenia Lopez, Delano Police Cadet, Walking Ambassadors Organizer
Melissa Watford, EdM, MCHES, Health Education Specialist, FirstHealth
Community Health Services
Sue Gilllis, Program Coordinator, Southern Pines Recreation & Parks
Department
Beavis Room
Analyze This! Appropriate Evaluation Design for SRTS Programs [CM
1.25]
Is Evaluation the overlooked E in your Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
program? This session will highlight considerations for effective evaluation
design, creative resourcing for data collection, and partnership
opportunities that can energize and enhance your evaluation efforts. This
session, facilitated by the California Department of Public Health’s SRTS
Technical Assistance Resource Center, will include a diverse set of
California researchers and practitioners in SRTS evaluation at the state,
regional, and local levels committed to sound evaluation practice under
varied and often complex circumstances. UC Berkeley SafeTREC
researchers will introduce case studies of schools interested in having
their SRTS programs evaluated. Panelists will then present practical
considerations to make before selecting an appropriate and effective
evaluation design framework. Next, panelists will detail additional
opportunities and processes that may enhance evaluation planning and
implementation. Participants will then be given the opportunity to engage
in small group discussions of the proposed cases.
Speakers
Moderator: Victoria Custodio, Safe Routes to School Project Coordinator,
Safe Routes Technical Assistance Resource Center, California
Department of Public Health
Swati Pande, Research Associate, SafeTREC, UC Berkeley
Tham Nguyen, Transportation Planning Manager, Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Leah Stender, Program Manager, WalkSanDiego
Concurrent Mind Mixer Sessions (5)
Compagno Room
Securing Stable Safe Routes to School Funding: Creative Financing
Examples [CM 1.25]
This session will inspire participants to think outside the box to secure
funding for Safe Routes to School programs and projects. After the 2012
federal transportation bill MAP-21 eliminated dedicated funding for Safe
Routes to School, states, MPOs, municipalities and school districts have
been struggling to find on-going and stable funding sources. This mind
mixer session will detail examples from throughout the nation on how
government agencies and advocates are working together to build Safe
Routes to School into larger financing mechanisms. The session will also
feature examples on creative ways to meet the 20 percent match, how
advocates can look to Highway Safety Improvement Program funds for
Safe Routes projects, and there will be a group discussion with members
of the audience on financing ideas. It is our goal for you to leave this
session with numerous ideas and examples for raising ongoing funds for
Safe Routes to School!
Speakers
Moderator: Deb Hubsmith, Director, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
Jenna Berman, Education Director, Bicycle Colorado
Carolina Iraheta Gonzalez, Safe Routes to School Organizer, City of
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Leslie Meehan, Director of Healthy Communities, Nashville Area
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Wendy Alfsen, Executive Director, California WALKS
BHK Room
Around the U.S. With Six Proven Bike Education Programs [CM 1.25]
Want to learn about six great bike curricula geared towards kids and 6
different ways to implement them? That’s what you’ll get when you attend
this Mind Mixer. Practitioners from Oregon, Philadelphia, Colorado,
California, Montana, and Florida will present using fast-paced, 6-minute
presentations consisting of visual storytelling about their proven bike
curriculum and program implementation. We realize that every state,
every city, every community, heck, every school is different, and you may
need many options in order to create a program that works for you! Take
advantage of these practitioners’ more than 50 cumulative years of bike
education program implementation experience. Come hang out with us.
We’d love to brainstorm with you. Most of all, we want more kids on bikes!
Speakers
Mellissa Meng, School Programs Manager, North Natomas TMA
Megan Rosenbach, Safe Routes Philly Community Liaison, Bicycle
Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Roger Dibrito, Executive Director, Journeys from Home Montana
John Egberts, Assistant Director, Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety
Education Program, University of Florida
Julia Davenport, Education Program Manager, Bicycle Colorado
LeeAnne Fergason, Education Programs Manager, Bicycle Transportation
Alliance
Falor Room
New Tools and Approaches for Mapping Routes, Neighborhood
Organizing, and More [CM 1.25]
Hear four lively presentations about SRTS mapping projects -- using
neighborhood organizing, new online mapping tools, innovative visual
approaches, open source, and more. Plus lots of time for questions, and
table demos from the presenters. You’ll hear about: a) how walking school
bus routes for 85 schools in Solano County were mapped using online
web mapping and automated GIS routing, b) how Marin County SR2S
retooled the SchoolPool as a neighborhood organizing tool, with
neighborhood captains and simple web-based maps and registration, c)
how a guidebook from Champaign County Regional Planning Commission
shows how to create and distribute effective SRTS maps, and d) how
digital sticky dot tools and Google Street View have been used for
collaborative community data collection.
Speakers
Ellen McDermott, Director of Operations, Open Plans
Gabriel Lewis, Transportation Planner, Champaign County Regional
Planning Commission
Wendi Kallins, Program Director, Marin Safe Routes to School
Brian Fulfrost, Principal, Brian Fulfrost and Associates
Bataglieri Room
Walking and Bicycling to School Success Stories from Across the
Nation [CM 1.25]
This high energy, lively session will take participants on an interactive and
fun-filled journey across the United States to experience Safe Routes to
School at its finest. From real-world testimonials and insight from Safe
Routes to School coordinators throughout New Jersey… to an eagle eye’s
view of how a rural, regional Safe Routes to School program is
revolutionizing physical activity levels among students in Iowa… to one
individual’s pursuit to successfully create a bike-to-school culture in
Arizona by helping students positively form lifelong habits toward physical
activity, participants will walk away inspired to keep their Safe Route to
School efforts moving forward.
Speakers
Peter Bilton, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Keep Middlesex Moving
Meeta Patel, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Meadowlink
Ashley Christensen, Regional Safe Routes to School Liason, Upper
Explorerland Regional Planning Commission/Northeast Iowa Food and
Fitness Initiative
Michael Cynecki, Project Manager, Lee Engineering, LLC
Donald Cross, School Safety Coordinator, Phoenix Street Transportation
Department
Bondi Room
Interactivity Lab: Hands on for Feet First [CM 1.25]
The Interactivity Lab lets you lay your eyes and hands on some of the
innovative tools of the trade that the City of Phoenix and SR2S Alameda
County use to excite and educate students about the joys of walking and
bicycling. Conference presentations are filled with good ideas to take
home, but sometimes the best inspiration comes from getting to play with
good ideas close up. At the Lab, you’ll get a tangible, tactile experience of
some of our best classroom-friendly materials. Peruse Comic Books and
take a turn at Bike Jeopardy - they’re creatively jam-packed with safety
lessons and will make your events soar. Spin the bike trivia wheel, pedal
the bike blender, and hoist the Golden Sneaker trophy high! You’ll learn
how to make and customize these materials (and more) for your own
program. Presenters will be on hand to help explain and explore.
Speakers
Donald Cross, School Safety Coordinator, City of Phoenix Street
Transportation Department
Aiyana Knowles, Site Coordinator, Safe Routes to Schools Alameda
County
Terry Kelley-Farias, Site Coordinator, Safe Routes to Schools Alameda
County
Carrie Harvilla, Program Manager, Safe Routes to Schools Alameda
County
11:30 am-1:30 pm Lunch Break – (participants are on their own)
1:30-2:45 pm
Concurrent Afternoon Breakouts (8)
Compagno Room
Partnering with Parents, Students, and Other Stakeholders to Create
Sustainable SRTS Programs [CM 1.25]
To have successful, sustainable Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
programming, it is important to engage and empower others to conduct
SRTS activities. Two California communities will share experiences
building their SRTS programs. The YWCA of the San Gabriel Valley will
share strategies used in the City of Azusa to engage parents, principals,
school boards, and other school staff in SRTS planning. Traffic Safe
Communities Network in Santa Clara County (TSCN) will share successes
and challenges in helping others to make helpful new contacts and
exchange ideas through its successful workshop series for parents and
volunteers. TSCN will also share experiences training middle school
student leaders to teach other students about traffic safety. During the
session, presenters will involve the audience in electronic polling with live
time results to share and communicate group input on issues related to
engaging and empowering key stakeholders in training, data collection,
and program implementation.
Speakers
Moderator: Ellen Corman, Supervisor Community Outreach and Injury
Prevention, Stanford University Medical Center, Trauma Service
Alice Kawaguchi, Health Education Specialist, Santa Clara County Public
Health Department/Traffic Safe Communities Network
Maylyn Co, Health Education Associate, Santa Clara County Public Health
Department/ Traffic Safe Communities Network
Maria Inez Perez, School Site Coordinator, YWCA San Gabriel Valley
Luz Bolivar, School Site Coordinator, YWCA San Gabriel Valley
Misha Penn, Contract Compliance Manager, YWCA San Gabriel Valley
Falor Room
Fleets and (Bike Education) Geeks: Oregon’s Youth Bike Program
from Start To Finish [CM 1.25]
Do you feel like you need a magic wand to create a comprehensive youth
bike curriculum, 35 bikes of varying sizes, tools, and a trailer designed to
carry it all from school to school? Come find out how straightforward it
really is. In this comprehensive presentation you will discover the BTA's
ten-hour bicycle safety education curriculum, the details of Eugene‘s
unique bike fleet, “fun”ding for equipment, and everything in between.
Through hands on activities and presentations you will learn to put
together a bike fleet that fits your needs and implement lessons covering
checking the bicycle for safety, traffic laws, lane positioning, and
navigating intersections using right-of-way. The Bicycle Transportation
Alliance and Eugene Safe Routes to School have taught over 50,000
students utilizing innovative resources, curriculum, and staffing models.
Ditch the wand, you won’t need it.
Speakers
Colette Ramirez-Maddock,
Recreation Programmer, Recreation
Services, City of Eugene, OR
LeeAnne Fergason, Education Programs Manager, Bicycle Transportation
Alliance
Bondi Room
Implementation Impossible? How to Implement SRTS Curriculum in
Schools [CM 1.25]
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to implement curriculum.
Providing schools with all the information and resources they need to
teach bike/ped skills in the classroom may seem simple; however,
schools’ hands may be tied if the lessons don’t support existing
objectives. While daunting, carrying out this mission can be successful.
This panel will represent SRTS secret agents that have successfully
implemented bike/ped curriculum over a spectrum of settings: school
district level, county level, and state level. Panelists will be able to discuss
the barriers they encountered (and the solutions they devised to move
past them), success stories, and advice for those who are up for the
ultimate challenge in education implementation.
Speakers
Moderator: Julie Harris, Project Manager, Activate Omaha
Seth Schromen-Warwin, Safe Routes to School Program Manager,
Bicycle Alliance of Washington
Megan Rosenbach, Safe Routes Philly Community Liaison, Bicycle
Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Carmen Burks, Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator, Cincinnati Public
Schools
Beavis Room
When Communities Speak Up! Equity & Empowerment in SRTS
Efforts [CM 1.25]
This panel lifts up community voices from across California—urban (Los
Angeles and Richmond) to rural (Central Valley)—highlighting the
successes and sustainability of community-driven Safe Routes to School,
safe passages, and healthy community initiatives. Building on community
strengths and resiliency to reverse head-on pervasive “deficit thinking”
mindsets entrenched in many underserved communities, grassroots
leaders have empowered their communities to action--improving the built
environment and overcoming social conditions impeding walking and
bicycling. Come be inspired by these leaders—their ongoing experiences,
challenges, and lessons learned—who are leading the charge to advance
equity in their communities through Safe Routes to Schools and other
healthy community initiatives.
Speakers
Moderator: Jessica Meaney, Southern California Policy Director, Safe
Routes to School National Partnership
Moderator: Gabino Arredondo, Health & Wellness Coordinator, City
Manager’s Office, City of Richmond, CA
Tony Dang, Deputy Director, California WALKS
Jamecca Marshall, Policy Manager, Advancement Project
Eileen Forbes, Community Organizing Education Specialist, TRUST LA
Holly Harper, Living Streets Initiative Coordinator, Green LA Coalition
Shannon Ladner-Beasley, Senior Health Education Specialist, Contra
Costa Health Services Agency, Injury Prevention and Physical Activity
Promotion Projects
Patrick Phelan, Engineering Infrastructure Administrator, City of
Richmond, CA
Toody Maher, Director, Pogo Park, Richmond, CA
Bataglieri Room
Regional Safe Routes: How MPOs can Build and Sustain SRTS
Programs [CM 1.25]
With funding increasingly supporting efforts at the regional level and
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) receiving 50 percent of
MAP-21 Transportation Alternative Program funds, regions have an
increasingly important role in transportation planning decisions. This panel
explores how regional stakeholders can collaborate with and support Safe
Routes to Schools efforts at the local level.
The SRTS National Partnership’s regional network project helps build
coalitions and fosters relationships with MPOs to leverage funding and
create policies that support active transportation. In the San Francisco Bay
Area, Spare the Air Youth is supporting collaboration between the 15
SRTS programs with a grant program seeking innovative ways of reducing
emissions due to school transportation. The San Diego region is
supporting local efforts through policy work and support for healthy
communities. The East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
supports SRTS initiatives in planning efforts at the three MPOs under its
jurisdiction.
Speakers
Moderator: Hannah Kapell, Senior Planner, Alta Planning + Design
Marty Martinez, Bay Area Policy Manager, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
Ursula Vogler, Project Manager of the Climate Initiatives Program,
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Bridget Enderle, Associate Active Transportation Planner, San Diego
Association of Governments
Melissa Kraemer Badtke, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, East Central
WI Regional Planning Commission
Tofanelli Room
The Fifth E Evaluation and Institutionalization of SRTS Programs [CM
1.25]
What can you learn from long-term institutionalized programs? This
session will provide guidance on how to conduct a comprehensive
evaluation of a county or citywide Safe Routes to School program in order
to create a cultural shift. Lessons learned from extensive evaluations
recently conducted for three of the longest-running SRTS programs on the
West Coast will be shared: Marin County (California), Portland (Oregon),
and Alameda County (California). The presenters will provide direction on
evaluation methods, including data review, which will include techniques
to objectively evaluate program elements. The speakers will offer aspects
of the regional programs that continue to make them successful, as well
as those that require improvement, new program features, and those that
should not be invested in. Finally, the presenters will provide tips for
identifying recommendations that can improve the effectiveness of a
regional SRTS program, setting them up for even greater success in the
future.
Speakers
Moderator: Wendi Kallins, Program Director, Marin Safe Routes to
Schools
Arun Goel, Safe Routes to School Program Manager, Alameda County
Transportation Commission
Carolina Iraheta Gonzalez, Safe Routes to School Organizer, City of
Portland Bureau of Transportation
BHK Room
Methods to Tame Arrival and Departure Chaos and Identify Safe Walk
Zones [CM 1.25]
Is your drop-off and pick-up area an “accident waiting to happen?” Could
your schools promote more active commuting by repairing hazardous
conditions rather than busing students around them? This session gives
you methods and materials to tame these common but tenacious SRTS
issues. This session will be led by two seasoned SRTS practitioners from
Washington State. Skagit Healthy Communities coordinator Liz McNett
Crowl works with multiple districts and jurisdictions on SRTS, Complete
Streets, land use and non-motorized planning. Feet First SRTS Director
Jen Cole has vetted materials in several area K-8 schools, with the
invaluable partnership of the Seattle Department of Transportation, the
Seattle School District, and Toole Design Group.
Speakers
Moderator: Jessica Roberts, Programs Manager, Alta Planning + Design
Jen Cole, Safe Routes to School Program Director, Feet First
Liz McNett Crowl, Skagit Healthy Communities Coordinator, Skagit Valley
Hospital
Carr Room
Beyond Traditional Infrastructure: Implementing Innovative and
Green Routes to School [1.25]
Are you interested in learning how technology can help you identify and
prioritize specific infrastructure improvements? Are you interested in
learning how to plan for and design unique and effective infrastructure
solutions like school bicycle boulevards and green street elements? If so,
then this is the session for you! This session will highlight the successful
completion of California’s first comprehensive School Bicycle Boulevard.
This two-mile route serves hundreds of students from three schools. You
will learn how this project was implemented from start to finish, and how to
replicate this treatment in your jurisdiction. This session will also cover
how green street stormwater design strategies to provide safe bicycle and
pedestrian conditions. We call them “Green Routes to Schools.”
Speakers
David Parisi, Principal, Parisi Transportation Consulting
Kevin Perry, ASLA, Principal, Urban Rain | Design
Brett Hondorp, Principal, Alta Planning + Design
2:45-3:15 pm
Coffee Break
Grand Nave Foyer
1:30-8:00 pm
Davis Mobile Workshop (Tour #4)
3:15-5:15 pm
Concurrent Implementation Workshops (8)
Tofanelli Room
Creating an Equation for Success in Urban SRTS Programs [CM 2]
SRTS programs in low-income urban areas face the typical barriers to
SRTS, such as the lack of adequate pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
Frequently, programs must also be designed to address a multitude of
challenges that range from abandoned properties and vacant lots to
criminal activity and bullying. These factors can discourage an active
lifestyle, but often children are traversing these conditions based on the
necessity of it being their only transportation option to get to school.
Panelists representing programs in Los Angeles, CA and Birmingham, AL
will discuss these considerations in the design and implementation of
SRTS programs in urban areas and how these programs highlight the
need for policies supportive of well-maintained, safe spaces for the
youngest active commuters. Participants will learn innovative ways to
implement low-cost engineering treatments, and consider strategies to
galvanize community and political support to activate positive changes in
communities.
Speakers
Kadie Whatley, Project Director, Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities,
United Way of Central Alabama
Monique Mullins, MPH, Administrative Analyst, Jefferson County
Department of Health
Nichalaus Sims, Safe Routes to School Planner, Safe Routes to School of
Central Alabama
Ryan Snyder, President, Ryan Snyder Associates
Beavis Room
Achieving and Expanding the Five E's: Best Practices in New York
City [CM 2]
Recent reports show pedestrian injuries to New York City students fell
44% as a result of Safe Routes to School projects. Representatives from
NYCDOT Safety Education will discuss the program and offer best
practice suggestions beginning with a look at non-capital infrastructure
changes. Two middle school curricula, City Street Investigator (CSI) and
Stop-Think-Act, will be presented. These align with learning standards,
offer age-appropriate encouragement material, and include useful
evaluative tools. For a hands-on experience, we will go into the traffic
environment to discuss youth advocacy and school-community
engagement efforts through the Safer Streets program. We will measure
vehicle speeds and make observations of street conditions and user
behaviors to illustrate how student projects bridge the gap between inclass learning and civic involvement. This workshop will also highlight
some of the opportunities, struggles and successes of building community
safety councils. Designed to give you plenty to take back with you.
Speakers
Moderator: Kim Wiley-Schwartz, Assistant Commissioner, Education and
Outreach, New York City Department of Transportation
Marjorie Marciano, Deputy Director, New York City Department of
Transportation
Michele Kaucic, Director of Teen Outreach, New York City Department of
Transportation
Bondi Room
Teen Bicycle Culture and Advocacy Captured in High School
Physical Education [CM 2]
Experience first hand how bicycle workshops and field activities can be
introduced and become a sustainable high school physical program. Learn
how to bring bicycle safety to high school students to encourage and
validate their newfound culture. The goals are to introduce an acceptable
concept of bicycling as a sport in high school Physical Education
Departments, and to adopt a cycling club and to promote safe bicycle
riding among the students commuting to school by bicycle. YES will share
the workshops, field activities, support materials, teacher training to and
relationships in the communities to develop a long term interest in
bicycling. To this end we partnered with local bicycle advocacy
organizations to foster a connection between the students and school
staff; the larger bicycling community; Licensed Cycling Instructors and
Department of Public Heath to capture needed survey data to help with
future funding.
Speakers
Moderator: Victoria Custodio, Safe Routes to School Project Coordinator,
Safe Routes Technical Assistance Resource Center, California
Department of Public Health
Tana Ball, Executive Director, Youth Education Sports, Inc.
Jim Shanman, Founder, Walk ‘n Rollers
Daniella Alcedo, Community Organizer, Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition
Bataglieri Room
Establishing Safe Routes to School Policies in Diverse Rural and
Tribal Settings [CM 2]
This panel will showcase the efforts of rural and tribal communities
implementing Safe Routes to School practices and policies that are
supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
Community Transportation Grant program. Representatives from public
health and tribal health will share how they are instituting sustained Safe
Routes to School strategies to support active transportation with unique
partners including a local school district, community college, large tribal
nation and regional planning agency. Local coordinators will share their
experiences in developing Safe Routes to School plans and
pedestrian/bicycle plans as well as ensuring Safe Routes to School
content be incorporated into school parents handbooks, general plans and
regional transportation plans.
Speakers
Moderator: Lisa Cirill, Chief, California Active Communities, California
Department of Public Health
Jennifer Weiss, Planner, Redwood Community Action Agency
Sara Sundquist, Health Education Specialist, Shasta County Health and
Human Services Agency
Robin Cox, MPH, CPH, Health Education Manager, Solano County Health
and Social Services Department
Donna Norkoli, Coordinator, Community Transformation Project, Sault
Tribe Health Center
Falor Room
Monkey Money: Helping At-risk Kids, and Mobile Bike
Repair/Education Hub [CM 2]
Active4.me founder, Tim Starback will give an example of how to have fun
and overcome program burnout using a virtual currency, called “Monkey
Money,” that students earn each time they walk or bike to school.
Founder of Off the Front, Mike Slayden will feature strategies for
successful SRTS programs in low-income areas.
* Technology; using Boltage to track and encourage.
* Providing a bike to every 4th grader who needs one.
* Bike repair and training to keep those bikes on the road.
Jake Newborn, from Wisconsin Bike Federation shows you how to take
safety education and mechanical services directly to a neighborhood that's
a bike shop desert in Milwaukee. Create a mobile bike repair station and
take it where it’s needed. Learn how to engage youth, develop community
partnerships and build a similar program of your own.
Speakers
Tim Starback, Founder, Active4.me
Sanne Fettinger, Active Transportation Volunteer, Davis Bicycles
Mike Slayden, Founder, Off the Front
Jake Newborn, Youth Education Program Manager, Wisconsin Bike
Federation
BHK Room
Engaging Teens in High School Active Transportation Programs [CM
2]
High school student leaders can build thriving active transportation events
and campaigns. This session will explore the process and approach of
engaging teens in meaningful and interactive participation in Safe Routes
programs. Hands-on activities will provide you with strategies, tools and
ideas for developing a program in your own community that responds to
teenagers’ distinct needs and strengths. Case studies will include
examples from previous successes in: using social media and visual
storytelling, starting a carpool program against all odds, conducting a walk
audit with youth, forming caravan clubs, and hosting a dynamic car-free
day event. Come hear empowered youth presenters share their stories
and passion as we increase our reach across high schools.
Speakers
Alissa Kronovet, High School Coordinator, Safe Routes to Schools
Alameda County/TransForm
Arthur Orsini, Youth Engagement Facilitator-Active School Travel,
Urbanthinkers
Amy Jolly, ECO2School Program Manager, Climate Protection Campaign
Gwen Froh, Teens Go Green Program Coordinator, The Teen Program of
Safe Routes to Schools
Brett Hondorp, Principal, Alta Planning + Design
Leonardo Martinez, Student, San Lorenzo High School, San Leandro, CA
Maggie Torpey-Murray, Student, Albany High School, Albany, CA
Reshma Pyala, Student, Foothill High School, Pleasanton, CA
Compagno Room
Interactive Workshop for Identifying Issues and Solutions in (Your
City Here) [CM 2]
In this session, you will join certified Safe Routes to School Walkability
Experts and National Trainers on a virtual walking and bicycling audit of
“No-way City.” No-way City boasts few sidewalks and limited crosswalks.
The city’s school is adjacent to congested roadways that are far from
being Complete Streets. Only brave children walk to school and bicycling
is rare. Sound familiar? During this exercise – which participants can
later replicate to engage stakeholders in their own community – you will
assist in mapping routes and in identifying various barriers; most of which
are recognizable in communities throughout the US. Participants will be
involved in prioritizing issues and the experts will provide a toolbox of
various solutions, from low-cost to longer-term, to be discussed. You will
be part of outlining components of a plan to create safer routes in No-way
City (or your city).
Speakers
Moderator: David Parisi, Principal, Parisi Transportation Consulting
Michael Cynecki, Project Manager, Lee Engineering, LLC
Paul Zykofsky, Associate Director, Local Government Commission
Carr Room
Creating the Funds: Workshop on Crowdfunding and Fundraising
[CM 2]
Times are tight and a fiscal cliff is looming, but that is no reason to put
your projects on hold! In fact, NOW is the perfect time to fundraise. Safe
Routes to School Projects are a must to keep our next generation active
and healthy. This session will go over creative ways to fundraise and keep
your SRTS programs moving.
“Creating the Funds” will go over the basics of MAP-21, but is intended to
go further and teach how to develop other fundraising streams for SRTS
programs. It will cover basic fundraising, making the case and the
development of a “case statement”. It will delve into successful
approaches to fundraising for Safe Routes to School, including marketing
your programs and making the individual “ask”.
This workshop will be interactive and hands on, so please come prepared
to develop a case for your programs, practice your asking technique and
learn how to develop a crowdfunding campaign that keeps your programs
healthy.
Speakers
Sarah Shipley, CEO, Shipley Communications
Jase Wilson, Founder and CEO, Neighbor.ly
5:15-7:00 pm
Dinner Break – (participants are on their own)
6:30-8:30 pm
Tofanelli Room
Advocacy Day Briefing by SRTSNP, Transform and WALKSacramento
Thursday, August 15, 2013
7:00 am-1:30 pm Conference Registration
The Glides
7:30-8:30 am
Continental Breakfast
Coordinated Networking Activities
8:30-9:45 am
Concurrent Morning Breakouts (8)
Carr Room
Breaking Isolation: Walking School Bus Success Stories [CM 1.25]
Participants will learn how two schools, one in Columbia, Missouri, the
other in Minneapolis, Minnesota, implemented successful walking school
buses. The Bear Creek neighborhood, part of the Columbia Housing
Authority, is highly transient and geographically isolated. Over the past
two years, a walking bus program has overcome a number of barriers to
become a successful and popular program with this under-served
population. While Lyndale Community School was not geographically
isolated, it was racially and socioeconomically so. A parent-driven walking
bus has drawn middle-income families to this high poverty school, adding
a once-absent demographic, bringing together diverse people, and helping
to reduce socioeconomic and racial isolation. This effort has become a
model for walking buses throughout Minneapolis. We will share our
walking bus challenges and solutions, reflect on our progress, and
acknowledge the work still to be done.
Speakers
Moderator: Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Associate Director, National Center for
Safe Routes to School and Senior Research Associate, UNC Highway
Safety Research Center
Lawrence Simonson, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, PedNet
Coalition, Inc.
Jenny Bordon, Safe Routes to School Specialist, Minneapolis Public
Schools
Bondi Room
Making Rural Routes Safe – Bringing Big Ideas to Small Town Idaho
[CM 1.25]
Comprehensive Safe Routes to School efforts build knowledge and
understanding of the link between safe routes and a long list of factors and
activities that affect how safe, comfortable and likely it is that students will
walk and bike to school. Funding and capacity limitations of rural towns
mean key players and committed volunteer team members are the
formula to success, and that success lies in learning: a) To identify key
players in your community to build a committed team; b) Understanding
land use policies that bring destinations, i.e. schools, closer together with
better connections to encourage walking and biking; c) Knowing the many
tools needed to build complete networks or complete streets for easier
and safer walking and biking; d) To conduct a walk audit or map existing
conditions; e) That small actions lead to big changes; and f) A fun event
can energize an entire community.
Speakers
Elaine Clegg, Project Coordinator, Idaho Smart Growth; Councilmember,
City of Boise, ID
Jeanne Mecham, PE, Transportation Engineer, Keller Associates
BHK Room
Youth Rule! Engaging Youth in Middle School Safe Routes to School
Programs [CM 1.25]
Learn about engaging middle-school students in Safe Routes to School
(SRTS) efforts from youth who participated in two SRTS youth
engagement curricula pilot programs! The youth will present their
individual projects, reflect on implementing SRTS activities with their
peers, and discuss the acquisition of leadership and team building skills
from their respective involvement in two curricula: the California Youth
Engagement Curriculum, which was developed for the California SRTS
Technical Assistance Resource Center within the California Department of
Public Health by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and
UrbanThinkers, and the Wisconsin Youth Engagement Curriculum,
developed through a collaborative effort with the East Central Wisconsin
Regional SRTS Program, Toole Design Group, and the Active
Transportation Alliance. Adult facilitators will discuss their role in
recruiting, retaining, and engaging youth leaders. In addition, curricula
development, curricula overviews, pilot case studies, and evaluation
strategies for the programs will be shared.
Speakers
Moderator: Lisa Rawson, SRTS Technical Assistance Resource Center
Project Coordinator, California Department of Public Health
Melissa Kraemer Badtke, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, East Central
WI Regional Planning Commission
Mike Patza, Safe Routes to School Planner, East Central WI Regional
Planning Commission
James Elliot, AICP, Transportation Planner, Toole Design Group
David Cowan, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School National
Partnership
Arthur Orsini, Youth Engagement Facilitator-Active School Travel,
Urbanthinkers
Beavis Room
There’s an App for That!: SRTS and Mobile Technology [CM 1.25]
This workshop will focus on the use of cutting-edge technology tools to
engage community stakeholders throughout the 5 “E’s” of the SRTS
program. Participants will learn strategies to actively involve community
members in planning processes, sustain community interest, and foster
meaningful dialogue and communication about the barriers and
opportunities surrounding walking and bicycling. Additionally, participants
will have access to a list of technology tools to download for their smart
phone, tablet, and other mobile devices.
Speakers
Erika Lewis-Huntley, Management Analyst II, City of Rancho Cucamonga
Mike Parmer, Management Aide, City of Rancho Cucamonga
Madison Haugland, Outreach Coordinator, Activate Omaha
Anders Swanson, Project Manager and Designer, Green Action Centre
Tofanelli Room
New Tools For Schools: How to Achieve Smart School Siting [CM
1.25]
If schools are located far from where kids live or on roads with safety
issues, it’s hard to walk or bike to school. That’s why school locations are
vital for safe routes to school and for shared use programs. But it’s easier
to identify this problem than to solve it. In this session, presenters will
provide an overview of the forces that are leading to school location
decisions, and will describe changes in size and location of schools over
the past few decades. Presenters will provide resources, tools, and
techniques to help communities and professionals understand and
navigate the complex choices involved in school siting, including equity
implications. The session will explore a school siting training curriculum as
well as model school siting policies that school districts can adopt to guide
their decisions, and will provide local examples of how to encourage
collaboration between local government and school districts.
Speakers
Sara Zimmerman, Senior Staff Attorney and Program Director, National
Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP/PP, Senior Research Specialist, Alan M.
Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers- The State University of New
Jersey
Candi Beaudry, AICP, Director, Planning and Community Services
Department, City of Billings, MT
Kathleen Stewart, Children's Environmental Health Coordinator, U.S. EPA,
Region 9
Falor Room
A Long View of Safe Routes: National Trends and California Program
Impacts [CM 1.25]
This session begins by exploring national trends in student travel and
parental perceptions about walking and bicycling to school since 2007—
the year the National Center for Safe Routes to School launched its online
data system. Attendees will discuss infrastructural and cultural forces
behind changes in student travel outcomes and their parents’ attitudes
about active school travel. After discussing national trends, audience
members will learn about a long-term study on the mobility and safety
impacts of California’s SR2S Infrastructure program. Using infrastructure
project information and collision data, presenters mapped the location of
SR2S infrastructure improvements in relation to the location of vehiclechild collisions. Significant injury reductions and increased levels of
walking to school were found in areas closer to infrastructure
improvements compared with injuries and walking levels farther from
improvements. The session wraps up with discussion on the broader
implications of the presented research on Safe Routes to School.
Speakers
Moderator: Jill Cooper, Associate Director, SafeTREC, UC Berkeley
Seth LaJeunesse, Project Coordinator, National Center for Safe Routes to
School
John Bigham, GIS Program Manager, SafeTREC, UC Berkeley
Swati Pande, Research Associate, SafeTREC, UC Berkeley
Bataglieri Room
More Than Crossing Streets: Statewide Approaches to Crossing
Guard Programs [CM 1.25]
Each day school crossing guards ensure that students arrive to and from
school safely. However, insufficient funding for crossing guard positions,
inconsistencies among crossing guard training programs and lack of
guidance on crossing guard placement may leave students vulnerable on
their way to and from school. This session will highlight how three states
are successfully addressing training, state and federal laws, funding, and
working with communities and state leaders to implement policies.
Presenters will highlight: 1) an effective statewide policy for funding
crossing guards, 2) how new curriculum and training address liability,
safety, health concerns, and help enhance SRTS efforts, and 3) how to
create a statewide crossing guard program. Participants will benefit from
an interactive discussion regarding training and placement best practices,
local and state policies and strategies towards sustaining crossing guards.
Speakers
Moderator: Sean Meehan, Project Coordinator, Alan M. Voorhees
Transportation Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Carolina Gutierrez, PhD, Assistant Director, University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine
Kristin Haukom, Safe Routes to School Regional Coordinator, California
Department of Public Health
Compagno Room
Danish Education Model Imported to Influence Chicago Bike Camps
[CM 1.25]
In June of 2012, as part of the Green Lane project, Aldermen from
Chicago visited Denmark and experienced a bike education class. The
Danish education programs use a very innovative approach to get kids on
bikes and into the natural urban riding environment at an early age and
with high safety levels. Based on these lessons, Chicago developed a
plan to launch bike-safety camps in low-income neighborhoods with
traditionally low ridership. Learn how Chicago translated the Danish
model to work in their community, how they identified the key partnerships
that allowed them to implement in a short timeframe, and learn how they
rapidly expanded to gain even larger exposure to reach more kids and
achieve bigger goals.
Speakers
Sarah Reiter, Category Manager, Saris Cycling Group
Charlie Short, Program Manager, CDOT Bike Safety and Education
9:45-10:15 am
Morning Break
Grand Nave Foyer
10:15-11:30 am
Concurrent Late Morning Breakouts (8)
Falor Room
Strong, Successful, Statewide: Growing SRTS throughout the State
[CM 1.25]
Supporting SRTS programs across a state can be challenging, but some
State SRTS Coordinators have taken a centralized approach with
tremendous success. This session will highlight the experiences of four
states that have built capacity, broadened outreach to rural and urban
communities, and experienced dividends in diverse communities as a
result. By using techniques like providing statewide Resource Centers,
engaging regional coordinators, working across departments, enlisting
partners, offering comprehensive training, and building cohesive statewide
recognition and evaluation programs, these states are providing more
coverage than ever. Using unique approaches, states are able to focus
their programs and deliver comprehensive statewide technical assistance.
Presenters will share their success with increasing program participation,
growing the number of walking and bicycling events in their states,
building more infrastructure projects, increasing outreach to diverse
communities, and recognizing program partners. Presenters will also
delve into next steps for their statewide programs in the MAP-21 era.
Speakers
Timothy Rowe, State SRTS Coordinator, Nevada DOT
Rodney Oldham, SRTS Program Coordinator, South Carolina Department
of Transportation
Samantha Fonseca-Moreira, SRTS Statewide Coordinator,
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Sean Meehan, Project Manager, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Rutgers University
Alicia Hatcher, School Outreach Coordinator - NW Georgia, GA Safe
Routes to School Resource Center
Compagno Room
Maximizing Walkability, Diversity, and Educational Equity in U.S.
Schools [CM 1.25]
Strategies for promoting walking and biking to school cannot be
considered without taking into account a stark fact: high levels of
neighborhood segregation in the United States leave many children from
low-income families in segregated schools, with often dire educational
consequences.
There have been varied approaches to both increasing racial and income
diversity in schools and improving educational quality. Often, the
strategies to increase school diversity or improve educational outcomes
also increase the distance between students’ homes and the schools they
attend, making it more challenging to maintain walkability. Schools trying
to achieve both priorities face a challenging question: Are diversity and
walkability compatible? This panel presentation brings together national
and local voices who have been engaged in these issues to share their
experiences and insight for overcoming the tensions associated with
increasing opportunities for students to be physically active and ensuring
children have access to high quality education.
Speakers
Moderator: Robert Ping, Technical Assistance Director, Safe Routes to
School National Partnership
Victor Rubin, Vice President of Research, PolicyLink
Mikaela Randolph, Shared Use Campaign Manager, Safe Routes to
School National Partnership
BHK Room
Policies, Programs and Passionate Promoters: District-Level Efforts
Produce Street-Level Impact [CM 1.25]
How do you build a SRTS program in a large, diverse, and growing school
district? Elk Grove Unified School District, the fifth largest school district in
California, began Safe Routes to School efforts at one school in 2002 and
now has participation at all 39 of its elementary schools. The District
recently received a non-infrastructure grant for a dedicated SRTS District
Coordinator and supports its coinciding municipalities on their SRTS
infrastructure projects. In Minneapolis Public Schools a district SRTS team
brought together multiple partners to create, plan, and implement the
weekly Bus Stop & Walk pilot project, Minnehaha Mondays. School buses
at one elementary school drop students .6 miles from school where,
accompanied by parents, staff and school patrol, about 400 students walk
to school each week. Join our discussion of school district policies,
programs, inevitable pitfalls, and the passionate people behind getting
more children to walk and bike to school.
Speakers
Moderator: Bill Heinicke, Director, Planning, Elk Grove Unified School
District
Julie Danzl, Healthy Kids Focused Students Coordinator, Minneapolis
Public Schools
Claire Hennen, School Safety Patrol Leader, Northrop Urban
Environmental Learning Center, Minneapolis Public Schools
Debbie Layton, Academic Program Coordinator, Anna Kirchgater
Elementary School, Elk Grove Unified School District
Lisa Dixon, SRTS Coordinator, Elk Grove Unified School District
Beavis Room
SRTS in Tribal Nations and Rural Communities: Successful
Strategies and New Resources [CM 1.25]
Join State SRTS Coordinators and California SRTS Technical Assistance
Resource Center (TARC) members in a discussion about successful state
and local strategies and tools used to overcome common challenges in
engaging Tribal and rural communities in SRTS. Participants will use realworld case studies to learn about ways to address SRTS challenges
involving distance to school as well as school and parent involvement. The
discussion will also include ways in which some of these strategies and
tools can be applied to engaging other underserved communities.
Speakers
Moderator: Patti Horsley, MPH, Health Education Specialist, Center for
Nutrition and Activity Promotion (CNAP), California State University,
Chico
Taylor Lonsdale, Montana Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Western
Transportation Institute, Montana State University-Bozeman
Kristi Koumjian, Senior Research Associate, Harder + Company
Community Research
Jenine Spotnitz, Research Assistant, Harder + Company Community
Research
Jenny Weiss, Planner, Natural Resources Services Division, Redwood
Community Action Agency
Tofanelli Room
What Parents Say/What Kids Want: Perceptions and Motivations
Affecting SRTS [CM 1.25]
Researchers have consistently shown that walking and bicycling to school
are effective ways of fulfilling physical activity levels for children. A number
of studies have shown that parents’ own habits, attitudes, and perceptions
are the most important factors influencing children’s overall participation in
physical activity. For the success of the SRTS program, it is not only
important to improve school environments and policies, but also to engage
parents and youth in overcoming both real and perceived barriers.
Understanding these issues will help us to better target the SRTS
message to parents and spur student desire to develop lifelong healthy
habits. This session will engage participants in a collaborative discussion
and help SRTS advocates to better understand parents’ concerns.
Session includes “What Parents Say” video and risk perception interactive
group exercise.
Speakers
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP/PP, Senior Research Specialist, Alan M.
Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers- The State University of New
Jersey
Laura Torchio, AICP, Eat, Play, Live...Better! Program Coordinator,
Montclair University College of Education and Human Services
Carr Room
Family Bicycling: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders [CM 1.25]
You can’t get kids of out of the car and into sneakers or onto bikes without
convincing parents that it is safe, healthy, and useful. In this panel, leaders
on the front lines of creating family bicycling culture will discuss tips and
tricks to use in your community. Started in Eugene, Oregon in 2008 and
now spread to over a dozen communities, Kidical Mass has been
transforming family travel habits, helping families network and advocate,
and raising the next generation of bicycle advocates. Families turned out
in Santa Monica, California by the hundreds for the first-ever Kidical Mass
ride, and a Family Bike Festival, which allowed parents to test-ride familyoriented bicycle gear, while children practiced bicycle handling skills and
decorated helmets. Complementing encouragement activities, in-school
bicycle skills training allowed elementary and middle school students to
become confident cyclists, earn independence in their day-to-day lives,
and experience riding on community streets.
Speakers
Moderator: Jessica Roberts, Programs Manager, Alta Planning + Design
Shane MacRhodes, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School, Eugene
School District 4
Elle Bustamante, Family Bike Specialist, Sacramento, CA
Peter Dzewaltowski, Transportation Planning Associate, Strategic and
Transportation Planning, City of Santa Monica
Bataglieri Room
Moving Beyond K-5: Tools for Partnering with Teens to Improve
Ped/Bike Safety [CM 1.25]
Looking for fresh ways to work with teens? Potentially interested in
working with middle or high school students but not sure where to start?
This session will begin by briefly making the case as to why working with
students in upper grades is important and then quickly launch into specific
tools and experiences you can adopt for your own work. Hear about US
DOT's new videos and activities developed with respect for the experience
and critical thinking skills teens bring to the table. Get ideas for how to
engage teens in real dialogue around improving their communities through
addressing pedestrian and bicycle safety problems. Participants will have
the opportunity to work in pairs to experience at least one tool and discuss
and brainstorm approaches to reach the teen population. You'll leave
ready to move beyond K-5!
Speakers
Moderator: Kristin Rosenthal, MEd, MCHES, Program Manager, U.S.
Pedestrian & Bike Safety, Safe Kids Worldwide
Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Associate Director, National Center for Safe Routes
to School
Paula Bawer RN, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program Manager, U.S
Department of Transportation
Bondi Room
Promoting Safe Passages to School: Addressing Concerns of
Violence in Communities [CM 1.25]
In certain communities across the nation, youth are afraid to walk or bike
to school because of persistent threats of violence in their neighborhoods.
For example, youth have to navigate multiple gang territories to make a
short walk from home to school. Unfortunately this not only prohibits an
active lifestyle, it also leads to higher rates of truancy and delayed
academic achievement. This session will highlight innovative efforts in Los
Angeles to use programs such as Safe Routes to School to not only
promote walking and biking but also increase attendance rates and socioemotional wellbeing. It will describe successful collaborations between
key partners such as concerned parents, school administrators, former
gang members, and law enforcement to help youth get to and from school
safely. Finally this conversation will explore how such programming can
lead to broader violence prevention and community engagement activities
and potential implications for relevant public policy.
Speakers
Moderator: Jamecca Marshall, Urban Peace Policy Manager, The
Advancement Project
Janice Burns, Healthy City Community Research Lab Manager, The
Advancement Project
Helen Pallares, Sgt. II, Community Safety Partnership, Jordan Downs
Team Lead, Los Angeles Police Department
Christopher Anyakwo, Program Manager, Safe Passage & Safety
Ambassador, Dept. of Gang Reduction & Youth Development, Office of
Mayor of Los Angeles
Mike Cummings, Safe Passage Safe School Coordinator, David Starr
Jordan Senior High School, Los Angeles, CA
Ron Noblet, Consultant, Gang Violence Prevention Intervention
11:30 am-1:00 pm Closing Keynote Luncheon
Grand Nave BR
Charitable Bike Build Presentation
We conclude the 4th Safe Routes to School National Conference with the
presentation of the fleet of new youth bikes that participants have built to
three highly deserving local organizations: Loaves & Fishes Mustard Seed
School, the Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento, and Safe Routes
to Schools Alameda County. Thanks to all of the Charitable Bike Build
donors, builders and mechanics.
Speakers
Conference MC: Larry Robinson, Transportation and Land Use
Coordinator, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Super Weevil, a fun-loving insect who promotes wearing safety gear when
riding bikes, skateboards and scooters, Kaiser Permanente Regional
Education Theatre Program
How to Become an Active Living Superhero! [CM 1.5]
SRTS solutions start with Active Living Superheroes. Usually this type of
Superhero starts as a mom feeling insecure about the safety of her
neighborhood and wants to do something about it. Sometimes Active
Living Superheroes are school professionals or city transportation
planners or engineers or even elected officials who see the barriers to
active living and want to champion solutions. Learn how Superheroes
deploy their skills, strategies and secrets to overcome obstacles and clear
the way for kids to range freely throughout their neighborhoods, and travel
safely to and from school. Learn how you can become an Active Living
Superhero!
Speakers
Charles Gandy, President, Livable Communities, Inc.
1:15-5:15pm
Concurrent Optional Tours of Local Model Projects
1:00-5:00 pm
California Advocacy Day at State Capitol (offsite)