With students getting back on campus, more children will be walking and rolling in the streets of Menlo Park. Here are some reminders to stay safe while traveling to or near schools.

Parents and caregivers: 

• Check out the suggested Routes to School maps: Did you know that all schools in Menlo Park have Walk and Roll maps that show suggested safe routes to school? Check your school Walk and Roll map to plan your route ahead. Test your route with friends and family before the first day of school, during the weekend for example. You can find all the Walk and Roll maps on the Safe Routes to School webpage, and updated ones for the 2021-22 school year will be available soon.
• Contact your Safe Routes to School champion: Many schools have a safe routes champion who is a parent or a teacher. Reach out to your school safe routes champion to get tips on walking and biking to school. They might know other families that could walk or bike with you to and from school!
• Form a Walking School Bus or Bike Train: A walking school bus is a group of students with a trained adult volunteer or paid staff who walk together to and/or from school. A bike train is a variation where students ride their bikes to school with adult leaders. Check with your school if there are walking school buses or bike trains organized.
• Student drop-off/pickup: Not everyone is able to walk or bike to school! If you drive to school, respect the school’s rules and drop-off/pickup procedures. Check your side mirrors before opening your door, and be extra careful in school zones and residential neighborhoods. To avoid congestion near the school, you can also park in a street close to the school and have a short walk to school with your child. 

Share the road! 

It is important to slow down for our children and families walking or biking in school zones. Slowing down by just 5 or 10 mph makes a big safety difference for children walking and biking. Obeying school zone speeds will keep children safe on their way to school. Do not forget to drive cautiously around school buses.