As part of its countywide Safe Routes to School program, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) is conducting an online walk audit of Belle Haven Elementary school. A walk audit assesses streets in a particular study area, to see how safe and comfortable conditions are for walking and bicycling. The SMCOE is inviting the public to submit feedback in order to better understand the streets in the Belle Haven neighborhood.

This online walk audit is available in both English and Spanish, and is open until Friday, March 12, 2021. Users are able to submit feedback on topics related to streets in Belle Haven such as sidewalks, street crossings/intersections, comfort, driver behavior and safety. Users will be able to assist the SMCOE by plotting specific issues on a map imbedded in the survey and by submitting pictures.

Once the survey closes, the SMCOE will host a virtual walk audit for Belle Haven Elementary school, on March 16, at 5 p.m.

What’s a walk audit? A walk audit allows to identify walking and biking challenges and assess how safe, comfortable and easy it is to walk or bike to a specific location. A walk audit usually gathers a small group of stakeholders (school staff, parents, students, City staff, officials elected) to make observations on the site and discuss potential solutions, e.g., installing a pedestrian crosswalk, improving the school drop off/pick up procedure, adding a curb extension, etc.

For more information about the SMCOE’s survey or the City of Menlo Park Safe Routes to School Program, please contact the Safe Routes to School Coordinator Andre-Anne Cadieux.