Parents for Safe Routes

An important read for everyone.

Opinion | Riding a Bike in America Should Not Be This Dangerous Bicyclists and pedestrians are dying at alarming rates. Do we have the courage to remake our car-centric streets?

Parents for Safe Routes joins the National Safe Routes to School Partnership is removing "Enforcement" for it's "E" Framework.

https://mailchi.mp/056365993592/removing-enforcement-from-the-safe-routes-e-framework

Call to Action! Send an email NOW (May 12, 2020) to the Menlo Park City Council ([email protected]) if you want to see a pedestrian zone piloted downtown on Santa Cruz Avenue. For more info:

CALL TO ACTION: Email NOW (by 4pm TODAY) if you want City Council to pilot Santa Cruz Avenue as a pedestrian zone. Tonight (5/12), the Menlo Park City Council will be reviewing a plan for partial street closures in downtown Menlo Park (primarily along Santa Cruz Avenue approximately between University Ave. and El Camino Real). A description of the proposal and a map showing the suggested street closures, can be....

"I wish we could do this every day!" - said just about every parent and child.

Hugely successful bike ride to Lower Laurel Elementary School this morning! Thanks to the MPPD for joining us. Families are longing for Safe Routes. Let's do this!

Call to Action - Oak Grove Bike Route Survey

The City of Menlo Park is currently collecting data to determine whether to remove or make permanent the bike lanes implemented for the Oak Grove Bike Pilot.

Please take the City's survey and let them know that the Oak Grove project matters: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MenloBike.

The survey deadline is Friday, May 18th.

City of Menlo Park - Oak Grove Bicycle Project - Online Survey Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

4 (Yes, 4!!!) Child-Related Bicycle Accidents This Week in Menlo Park

We're at a Fork in the Road - Which Way Will We Go?

The City of Menlo Park experienced four child-related cycling incidents in the past week. Yes, four (that we know about).
- 9/5 - 3:20pm, Case # 17-2794 - 12 year old turning left from Middle onto Arbor broadsided. Minor injury reported.
- 9/6 - Approx 8am - Case # 17-2905 - Middle school child doored on Olive before Santa Cruz. Fractured collar bone.
- 9/11 - 3:34pm - Case # 17-2878 - Crossing Santa Cruz at Oakdell. Middle school child turning onto Oakdell and car leaving Oakdell turning left on Santa Cruz collided. Child with scrapes and bruises.
- 9/12 - Approx 5pm - Case # 17-2897 - Middle school child riding on sidewalk hit while attempting to cross Middle Ave. on El Camino Real. Minor injury (hurt wrist).
Thankfully, none of the above accidents resulted in serious, life-threatening physical injury.

Is this rate of collision typical for the start of the school season? Are there more of these incidents occurring that are left unreported? How many near misses are experienced every day? At what point do we say, as a community, "enough!"?

NOW is the time to get serious about Safe Routes. Parents, neighbors, community leaders, business owners, schools, police, fire, everyone, must come together to make our streets safe for children. We must work together to engineer Safe Routes, educate ourselves and our children and enforce (both via the police and ourselves) traffic rules. We can do this!

Parents for Safe Routes is here to help lead, but we need YOU.

Please come to our talk on September 19th at 6:30pm at Hillview (details below) to learn what you can do to be part of the solution. Please forward this message to your personal network, post on Facebook, and encourage those you know to attend. Have folks join our mailing list (https://www.parents4saferoutes.org/join-us). This is important.

We don't have to accept the status quo. Together, we can make a huge difference.

SIncerely,
Jen

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You are invited to attend the kick-off event of the Menlo Park City School District (MPCSD) annual speaker series. Jen Wolosin, Founder and Chair of Parents for Safe Routes, will deliver "Between Home and School: Why Safe Routes Matter and How to Make Them Happen." Following Jen's talk, there will be a panel discussion featuring:

- Kirsten Keith, Menlo Park Mayor,
- Bianca Walser, Menlo Park Complete Streets Commission Chair,
- Theresa Vallez-Kelly, San Mateo County Safe Route to School Coordinator, and;
- Penny Ellson, longtime Palo Alto Safe Routes Parent Champion.

In 1969, 50% of kids nationwide walked or biked to school and enjoyed the benefits of healthier bodies and minds, increased independence and confidence, and greater community connectedness. In contrast, just 13% of American kids walked or biked to school in 2009. If you're tired of driving your kids less than a mile to school, and/or are worried about traffic and safety on our streets, come learn how many are advocating for children in our community to be able to walk and bike to school safely, and be inspired to join the Safe Routes movement.

- Tuesday, September 19th at 6:30pm
- Hillview Middle School, Performing Arts Center - 1100 Elder Ave., Menlo Park, CA
- Free and open to the public
- Free onsite childcare (and pizza!) for potty trained children
- Light snacks and beverages provided

www.parents4saferoutes.org

Is there an intersection around town that you're concerned about? Wish we could have more bike lanes and sidewalks?
The City of Menlo Park is seeking feedback in the development of its Transportation Master Plan. This is a big deal and will guide City policy for years to come. Please give your input. Deadline is September 6th!

Visit the City's Online Open House to participate. This really matters.

https://menloparktmp.participate.online/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5BGvPHdC67QUGFFSWw5RnZNbjBRaG1FQTdOVkE4ZmY5VXhV/view?usp=sharing

Walk-shop Postcard 081117_digital.pdf

San Mateo County is looking for volunteers to help with 2017 Bike and Ped Count. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zQMNN8dNTLjQkPEeWNlmnERdXaNYzsGPBmJKmK1BxBY/viewform?edit_requested=true

Here is more info:
San Mateo County is participating in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation (NBPD) Project for the third year in a row and we need your help! NBPD is a nationwide effort whose goal is to provide accurate and consistent documentation on usage and demand, and encourage investments in transportation modes other than the private automobile.

Volunteers are needed for the in-field data collection component, which lasts from September 12th to 17th. This means that you get to be outside enjoying a couple of hours in the beautiful, mid-peninsula weather while recording those who walk and bike past. Each shift is two hours and you can indicate your location and time preferences. View last year's results and locations here.

How to participate:
1. Register here: goo.gl/WvqF4s . After registering, we will send a volunteer packet with your assigned count locations and times based on your noted preferences (allow up to two weeks for this).
2. Attend a training webinar. The webinars will be Wednesday, August 30th at 10am and Wednesday, September 6th at 2pm. If you can’t attend a live webinar you can view the webinar recording. Webinar details will be sent out via email.
3. Count at your designated site, date and time.
4. Send results to the Office of Sustainability within 72 hours of your last count date.

Email [email protected] or call 650-599-1420 with any questions.

Welcome Back to School! Please drive carefully! So proud of our Las Lomitas/La Entrada team and their Friendly Reminder campaign to drivers. Thanks also to the Atherton Police for being part of it!

HAWK Update: Parents for Safe Routes has asked the City of Menlo Park to make the HAWK project a top priority in its 2018 Work Plan.

Thanks to Menlo Park City Council Member, Ray Mueller, for reaching out to and meeting with Parents for Safe Routes. We greatly appreciate this support and the support we've received (and hope to continue to receive) from all council members. Here's to strengthening our Community Partnership for the sake of the kids!

Come join Parents for Safe Routes Founder and Chair, Jen Wolosin, on Tuesday, July 11th from 5:30 to 7:15pm at the Stanford Safe and Confident Bicycle Handling Skills Lab. This adult class will help us learn key skills so that we can model safe and confident biking behavior for our kids. We hope to see you there!

https://healthimprovement.stanford.edu/classes/register/hipClasses.php?t=1cce34dfd3cbss383d348a508b1be48cc821&cc=bike-01

Current Class Schedule - Classes - Health Improvement Program - Stanford Medicine