1. Bike it! Walk it! Santa Monica’s
Next Generation on the Move
Pro Walk Pro Bike
Sept 12, 2012

2. Introductions
 Alison Kendall, Kendall Planning + Design
 Tara Griffith, Samohi Solar Alliance, Student
 Gabriel Schier, SMASH Bike Club, Student
 Peter Dzewaltowski, City of Santa Monica
 School staff
 PTSA

3. Community Success story:
Bike it! Walk it! Days
• 2007- Samohi Bike it Day
• 2009- Middle Schools join
• Board of Ed SRTS Resolution
• 2010 10 schools with over 25% of
trips car-free.
 2011 14 schools with over 30% car
free
 2012 14 schools with over 35%
car free

4. 2007 Samohi 100 bikes
2009 Samohi, JAMS, Lincoln 300 bikes
2011 SMMUSD 600 bikes, 2900 car-free

5. Bike It Walk It Day

6. 1. Promote safe walking and
bicycling to increase physical activity

7. LA County Adult Obesity Rates
1997 2005

8. 2. Traffic Safety
 Where it’s safe, get kids walking and biking
 Where it’s not safe, make changes

9. 3. Air Quality
• Measurably better around schools with more
walkers and cyclists
• Main student motivator: Environmental concerns

10. 1. Education: Bike Skills Class
 Teach bike skills
 Create traffic safety
awareness
 Foster life-long safety
habits
 Includes parents,
students and staff
 2010-present

11. 2. Encouragement
 Increase popularity
of walking and biking
 Is an easy way to
start SRTS
programs
 Emphasize fun of
walking and biking

12. 3. Enforcement: Crossing
Guards
 Increase awareness
of pedestrians and
bicyclists
 Improve driver
behavior
 Help children follow
traffic rules
 Decrease parent
perceptions of danger

13. 4. Engineering: SRTS input
 Create safer, more
accessible settings
for walking and
biking
 Bicycle Action Plan
improvements
 Safe Routes to
School Workshops

14. 5. Evaluation
 Is the program making a difference?
JAMS data Oct 2010 to 2011
100%
90%
80% Drove
70% Scooter
60% Bus
50% Carpool
40%
Bike
30%
Walk
20%
10%
0%
2010 2011

15. Lincoln MS, JAMS, SAMOHI
Participation – Spring 2009-11
450
400
350
300
250 skate
bus
200 bike
walk
150
100
50
0
Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln JAMS JAMS JAMS SaMoHi SaMoHi SaMoHi
2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011

16. Lincoln vs JAMS Bike it Walk it Day:
Santa Monica High School
(Pouring Rain vs Sun) Oct 2011
100%
90%
80%
70%
Drove
60% Scooter
50% Bus
Carpool
40%
Bike
30% Walk
20%
10%
0%
Lincoln 2011 JAMS 2011

17. Participation by School: Oct 2011

18. Helmet use decline, biking increases
 JAMS Helmet use since 2009 down to 61% from
75%, Lincoln use down to 70% from 85%
 High School Rate 25%-45%, Elementary 64-
100%
90%
80%
70%
60% 2009
50% 2010
40%
2011
30%
20% 2012
10%
0%
JAMS Helmets Lincoln Helmets

19. Develop a Safe Routes
Action Plan
 Identify priorities
 Roles: City,
District, School,
Parent, Student
 Resources
 Access during
Construction and
Beyond

20. Lincoln Middle School Project Overview
Principal: Suzanne Webb
Scope of Work: Replace one-story west wing
with new two-story building including library,
classrooms, chorus room and science labs.
Modernize second floor of main building into new
classrooms and science labs.
Architect: DLR Group/WWCOT
CHPS: 44 CHPS points targeted (District goal is
29 points)
Square Feet:
New Construction: 33,302 SF
Modernization: 7,928 SF
Demolition: 12,694 SF
Construction Budget: $17,524,000
Relocatables: Completed
Technology: Completed
Modernization of Building E: Completed
Replacement of Classroom Building C and Site
Improvements: 1st quarter 2012 – 4th quarter
2013
4.23.1

21. Lincoln Middle School – Project Overview
(Alternative) Replace Field Resurfaced Tennis
Courts
Reconfigured
Entrance Reconfigured Fire
Lane & Parking
Modernization of 2nd
New Floor
Classroom Classrooms & Science
Building Labs
Relocatables
New Courtyard and
Entry 4.23.1

22. Lincoln Access during Construction

23. Construction: Bike Access

24. Bike Racks and Bike Access
 Samohi: 100 bike capacity Bike it! Day 250 bikes
 Lincoln : 50 bikes capacity; Bike it day: 100 bikes.
 SMASH: 6 bikes capacity: Bike it Day: 80 bikes

25. V. ENCOURAGEMENT

26. Encouragement programs
1. Events
2. Walking school buses
3. Individual competition
4. Contests
5. Route map promotion

27. 1. Events: JAMS and Lincoln
celebrate International Walk to
School Day Oct 2011

28. Local News and Video

29. 2. Walking school buses,
bicycle trains

30. 3. Rewards: stickers, bike
gear, healthy snacks

31. Foster life-long habits

32. 4. Route maps

33. Student Leadership in middle and
high schools
 Make it relevant
 Encourage students
to take ownership
 Mentor student
leaders
 Civic engagement
 Make it cool and fun!

34. Education programs
SMASH Bike Skills Class

35. 1. Educating school students
 Pedestrian and
bicyclist safety
 Personal security
 Health benefits
 Environment

36. Pedestrian safety skills
How and where to cross

37. Bicyclist safety

38. Preparing for the ride

39. Personal security

40. Health and environment
 Health benefits of
physical activity
 Concern for the
environment

41. School-based education
 Enthusiastic, well
supported teachers
 Lesson plans
provided
 Parent, student
involvement

42. School Based Bike and
Pedestrian Training-2012-13
 JAMS, Lincoln MS + 2 Elementary Schools
 Walking School Buses and Bike Trains
 Personal, Pedestrian and Bike Safety
Workshops for students and parents
 Walk/Bicycle Safety Education in PE class
 Curriculum and Instructional Materials

43. Clubs and after school activities
SMASH Bike Club 2010

44. Teach and reinforce safety skills
JAMS informal “Bike Train” led by parent cyclist, formal program in 2013

45. 2. Educating parents
 Pedestrian and
bicyclist safety
 Safe driving near the
school
 School pick up and
drop off procedures

46. Safe driving near schools,
pick up and drop off rules

47. Strategies for reaching parents
bikeitwalkit.org website, E-newsletter

48. Ongoing Programs
 Bike it! Walk it! Days in October and May
 SRTS Task Forces at schools under construction
 PTA Bike Helmet Promotion, Bike Skills Workshops
 Smart Ways to School Outreach
Still Needed:
 Affordable Bikes and Repair Options
 More Bike Parking at every school
 Ongoing funding and SRTS Coordination

49. Two Words: Bike It!

50. The Samohi Solar Alliance
 A student-run, grass roots
nonprofit working to inspire
environmental awareness,
education, and tangible change
 Over 800 passionate students,
faculty, alumni, parents, and
community organizations
 SSA consists of four subdivisions:
 Education (Environmental
Seminars)
 Structural Changes (Solar
Panels and Recycling)
 Outreach (Public Contact)
 Events (BIKE IT!)

51. Bike It!
Basics
 SSA took action to challenge the car culture on
campus.
 The resulting initiative took the form of two major “Bike
It” events each year
 Collaboration with the PTA, school board, the city of
Santa Monica, and local businesses

53.  A campus sensation at Samohi!
 One day where alternative transportation is fully
appreciated
 All participants receive a popsicle during lunch
celebration

56. Success!
 40% of school participates
 Tremendous growth:
 25 bikes average on rack in 2007
 Over 100 bikes average in 2010
 Gets students out of their car for the
first time to experience how fun and
easy biking or walking can be,

57. And Not So
Successful...
 Lack of Helmets
 Difficulty in making Bike-it! Day on
the same date across the district
 Weather

58. A Growing Movement
• Expansion to other schools in the
district
• First event had over 800
participants in middle school level
• Greater goals would be to spread
Bike It! movement throughout the
country
• Organizing middle school
seminars to bring awareness
about the environment

61. Three Steps to
student-led Bike SMASH Bike Club
Training
Step 1: What do we
want?
-Promote health and
safety
-Encourage walking and
biking to school

62. Three Steps to
student-led Bike SMASH Bike Club
Training
Step 2: What do we
need?
-7th grade Bike it Blog
-Bike it/Walk It day
shows need for bike
safety training

63. Three Steps to
student-led Bike SMASH Bike Club
Training
Step 3: How do we
get there?
-Permission: Teachers
and Principal
-$$$: PTSA
-Awareness: Getting
parents and students
Interested through
campus presence
(Tables at events, flyers,
newsletter blogs)

64. SMASH Bike Club
Challenges and
Successes
Preparation
Curriculum
Finding student teaching
staff/teacher supervisors
Classroom visits/sign-up
days
Challenges
Scheduling
Location
Membership

65. SMASH Bike Club
Challenges and
Successes
Successes
-3 kids off training
wheels
-Higher elementary
participation on 2nd bike
day due to increased
parent support

66. SMASH Bike Club
The Future
Get ‘em young
Continuity
-New leadership needs to be in
place before old leadership
leaves
Membership
-As extra-curricular activity it is
hard to find enough members
-Attach bike club to established
events at school

67. SMASH Bike Club
The Future
Cooperation
Schools
-Middle schools working
together
-Middle and high schools
working together
Off-campus Support
-Working with school district
and city to take students off
campus after school and
take student-led training to
the next level

68. City of Santa Monica’s Role
 Policy Development
 LUCE & Bicycle Action Plan
 Infrastructure Enhancements
 Bike Center & Beach Bicycle
Campus
 Promote Safety &
Encouragement Activities
 Support of Bike it! Walk it!
Days
 School Coordination & Program
Sustainability
 Participation in SRTS
Workshops
 School Construction
 Funding Resources

69. Bike Planning

70. “Bicycle Friendly Business”

71. Bicycle Training

72. Bicycle education is available to
everyone

73. Public Awareness

74. New Infrastructure

75. Thoughtful Designs

76. Bike Parking

77. Bike Valet

78. Questions