Safe Routes to School is a national effort to encourage students and families to walk and bicycle to school, improving transportation safety through targeted infrastructure improvements and enforcement, walking and biking safety education, and encouragement programs.
Greater Portland has 17 school districts, ranging in size from Portland Public – with 82 schools and 44,000 students – to Riverdale, with two schools and 600 students. There are a total of 330 public schools in the region.
Across the region, local cities and school districts have been independently involved in Safe Routes to Schools efforts for many years. With diminished federal funding for these programs, local jurisdictions are increasingly seeking financial assistance from other sources.
In June 2016, the Metro Council and JPACT approved $1.5 million of regional flexible funds to be spent on Safe Routes to School initiatives. The information in this report is the first step toward helping Metro develop regional policies and strategies for establishing and supporting Safe Routes to School initiatives across the region.