Students and families walk to school during one of our events promoting active transportation.
Walk and Roll to School Week Kicks Off Oct. 7-11
Fall is in the air, and the days are shortening. It’s the beginning of the school year, the perfect time to learn new habits, like a different way to get to school.
That’s why we in our SF Safe Routes to School program are kicking off the annual Walk and Roll to School Week, Oct. 7-11.
Walk and Roll to School Week 2024 is October 7-11.
What to expect and how to get involved
Thousands of students across San Francisco will walk, bike, scoot and roll to school to celebrate Walk and Roll to School Week. It is a citywide event where students and their families are encouraged to walk and roll to school. Any San Francisco school from Pre-K to high school is invited to join in the fun!
This year, 50 public and private schools and thousands of students have registered to participate in Walk and Roll to School Week. If your school is not already taking part, you can register to become a Walk Champion to organize a participation day.
It’s the first of three annual citywide events to celebrate the Four Fun Ways to Get to School: walking, biking and rolling, carpooling and taking Muni or the school bus. The Safe Routes to School Program also hosts Transit Week in the winter and Bike and Roll to School Week in the spring.
Walking and rolling to school can help students arrive on time and focus in class.
The perks of walking and rolling
Walking and rolling to school offers many benefits to everyone, particularly kids. Research shows that active transportation — walking or rolling — to school can help kids focus during the school day. It can also instill in them the importance of such healthy habits as exercising regularly. Plus, walking and rolling can help kids get to school on time and reduce truancy.
Learning to bike, walk, or roll to school are essential skills. They can help kids feel more independent and confident as they navigate city streets. They can also help build a sense of community and connection to their neighborhood.
Walk and Roll to School Week shines a spotlight on and builds excitement for people-powered modes of transportation that benefit our health, climate and communities. It also raises awareness of the Safe Routes to School Program’s year-round activities and programs that help families and kids feel confident in shifting from car-based journeys to walking, bicycling and rolling, or taking transit to school.
These include recurring activities like Walking School Buses and Bicycle Trains where adults lead students along a fixed route, picking up classmates along the way. It also includes educational programs like Bike P.E. that work to remove barriers to bicycling by teaching students who may not have access to a bike at home the skills to ride during school P.E. lessons. Additionally, our community events and handy bicycling guides provide support for families learning to bicycle together.
Building Slow Streets is one way we’re making it safer to walk, roll, scoot and bike in the city.
Making it safer to walk and roll
Many school-age children in San Francisco live within walking or rolling distance of school, but they and their parents may not be comfortable doing so.
Our research shows that 29% of residents ride a bike every week, but that 80% want to ride more frequently. Only 23% of residents feel comfortable riding bikes in the city.
To help people feel safer and more comfortable on bikes and walking, we have built:
- 87 miles of bike paths
- 32 miles of Slow Streets
We want children and youth to feel safe as they explore their world and enjoy the independence that active transportation offers. The journey to school is an ideal place to begin.
That’s why we’ve made traffic safety around schools a top priority. We have installed 100 traffic calming devices during the last fiscal year. These include speed humps, raised crosswalks, speed cushions and speed tables. They’re all within 1,000 feet of public and private elementary, middle and high schools around the city.
Active transportation doesn’t just benefit kids, but the city as a whole. Fewer pick-ups and drop-offs reduce the number of cars on the road. This eases traffic congestion.
When we decide to walk, roll or take transit instead of drive, it helps the city meet its climate-resilience goals and reduce pollution. The result: a healthier environment for all San Franciscans.
San Francisco Safe Routes to School is a joint effort of city agencies and nonprofits, led by the SFMTA. The program aims to make walking and bicycling to school safer and more accessible for all San Francisco children and youth. The team also works to increase the number of families who choose to walk, bicycle, take public transit or join carpools on their way to and from school.