Safe Routes to School Tampa Bay

Safe Routes Tampa is currently planning neighborhood bicycle trains in several Tampa Bay neighborhoods for spring 2012.  The first bike train event was a success and has led to more parent involvement as well as more students biking to school.  Some neighborhoods are already planning to participate in their own neighborhood bike train program including: Temple Terrace, Tampa Palms (Chiles Elementary Neighborhood), 9Eagles, and Hunter’s Green.  Stay tuned for more details.

Check out the Safe Kids USA website for tips on pedestrian safety for Halloween.  Day light savings time is November 6th, Halloween would be a great time to practice pedestrian safety with your children.   http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/halloween-safety/ Be Safe Be Seen!

To help kick off the school year in Hillsborough County, Safe Routes to School Tampa Bay will host a neighborhood bicycle ride on Saturday, September 10th.  The neighborhood bicycle ride will encrouage parents and students attending the nearby school to get used to riding together in bicycle trains around their neighborhood.  

This summer Safe Routes to School Tampa Bay will be planning neighborhood bicycle rides in select neighborhoods.  Parents are invited to lead bicycle trains for the neighborhood ride.  If you would like more information on the upcoming events contact jackman@cutr.usf.edu We’ll see you out there.  It’s going to be hot and fun!!!

It’s that time of year again and post student tally forms have been collected at schools participating in the Safe Routes to School Walking School Bus and Bicycle Train Program.  We had a decent return of post student tally forms this year.  Getting the forms completed at each school was not an easy task.  Safe Routes to School Tampa Bay has been making great efforts to create more awareness for student walking and biking travel modes to parents and school faculty and administration.  It’s been an amazing year working with all 15 schools in Hillsborough County.  Safe Routes to School Tampa Bay has met a lot of hard working and interesting teachers, school administration, and staff at each school; thank you for your assistance.  We’ll see some of you “the parents” and students this summer at our weekend neighborhood family bicycle rides…more information coming soon.

Last Friday on a hot pre-summer day, 100+ students walked home from Kimbell Elementary School on Friday in large walking school bus groups.  Both parents and students walked home when school let out at 2:15pm.  Many students walked home in their own walking groups to and from school.  If parents are unable to walk with their children, the school promotes “safety in numbers” to the students.  Also, Kimbell Elementary school social worker Ms. Counce submitted an application for the SRTS $1k grant.  She has a lot of great ideas to encourage more studnets and parents to walk to school.  Nice job Ms. Counce and Kimbell Elementary School.  You’re doing a great job!

Today is walk home from school day at Kimbell Elementary School.  More students walk home after school than walk to school in the morning at Kimbell Elementary.  Part of the reason is that many parents are working and are unable to pick up their children in the afternoon.  Walking School Buses are a great way to get students walking in groups home rather than walking by themselves.  One student in particular just moved to the neighborhood and is new at Kimbell ES.  This student was walking home after school by himself and heard there was a walking school bus at the school.  The school social worker quickly matched the student up with a student walking group.  Kimbell Elementary is located within the City of Tampa and is a great walking neighborhood.  City of Tampa has done a fantastic job at improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the area to support safe walking and biking.

This morning Safe Routes to School Tampa Bay went to Shaw Elementary School to teach pedestrian safety to students grades K-2.  Safe Routes Coordinators used the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) curriculum for the safety presentation.  The students enjoyed the presentation and had many great questions to ask.  Some of the questions from students include:

“What are the white lines in the road called to help you cross the street?”

“How many times should I look left, right, and left?”

“What if you don’t have a reflective vest to wear to be seen?”

“Are you the safety robot guy on television?”