Coordinator's Statement
Over the past seven years, our program has grown from a contracted initiative into a fully embedded, district-funded program with dedicated staff and resources. What began with one employee has expanded to four staff members, allowing us to significantly increase our reach and impact.
Pedestrian safety education, once offered at only one or two schools, is now embedded throughout the district. All 34 elementary schools participate in Scooter Town, providing hands-on pedestrian safety instruction. Our bicycle education efforts have also expanded. Thanks to additional funding from Metro and our partnership with WashCo Bikes, our rodeos now distribute refurbished bicycles to students in need. This year alone, we provided approximately 200 bikes and 600 helmets.
School safety messaging has evolved into a coordinated districtwide effort supported by an annual toolkit, while events to encourage walking and biking to school have grown from two to six per year. Walking School Bus programs have expanded from two schools to 12 schools operating 18 routes, and Bike Buses now serve six schools. For the past three years, we have prioritized resources and support for low-income and Title I schools to help ensure equitable access to our programs.
As our elementary programming has matured, we have expanded opportunities for older students. This year marked the first full year of our High School Advisory Committee, which led a Street Mural Project in partnership with the City of Beaverton and continues to provide valuable student input on transportation projects and programs.
Looking ahead, we are excited to expand bicycle safety education and travel options programming for middle and high school students while continuing to advocate for safer school routes.
This work would not be possible without the support of our volunteers, partners, funders, and school communities. Thank you for helping make active and safe transportation possible for students across our district.
The Beaverton Safe Routes to School program (SRTS)is an integral part ofthe Beaverton School District(BSD) transportation department. Our mission encompasses all 54 schools, aiming to create safe, convenient, and enjoyable opportunities for students to walk and roll to and from school. This initiative is crucial for ensuring the health and safety of our students while helping to cultivate livable, vibrant communities. Our program continues to flourish thanks to funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Metro District. We collaborate with a broader team that includes the City of Beaverton, Washington County, Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District(THPRD), law enforcement, and BSD Transportation, Risk Management, Public Safety and Facilities.
To achieve our program's objectives, we adhere to the National SRTS Framework, which comprises the six E's:
- Education Providing lessons on pedestrian and bicycle safety
- Engineering Identifying and advocating for targeted improvements on school routes
- Engagement Building relationships and developing programs to address community needs
- Encouragement Organizing activities that promote walking, biking, and busing to school
- Equity Ensuring the distribution of resources to lessen health and wealth disparities among all BSD students.
- Evaluation Program assessments including student travel tallies
Meet the team
CREATING SAFER ROUTES, STRONGER COMMUNITIES
During the 2025–26 school year, we remained focused on improving safety and promoting active transportation. Our advocacy efforts helped secure new sidewalk construction, additional Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs), and a dynamic "No Turn on Red" sign near schools. This year also marked the launch of the Dolores Huerta Community Health Fair at William Walker Elementary, a pilot event that combined transportation education with community health resources, including bike and helmet giveaways, healthy food demonstrations, and a bike skills course.
We also partnered with William Walker, Bethany, Vose, Fir Grove, and McKinley schools to support new walking and biking initiatives, bike rodeos, and active transportation events.
As we conclude our push-in model of teaching Scooter Town, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the district's elementary PE teachers for welcoming us into their gyms and helping establish pedestrian safety education as a lasting part of the elementary experience. Their partnership will help ensure students continue to build the skills they need to travel safely and confidently. We invite you to read on and celebrate another year of progress made possible by the dedication of our schools, families, volunteers, and community partners. Together, we are creating safer, healthier, and more enjoyable journeys to school for all students.
BEAVERTON SEES A BIKE BUS BOOM
What started as a single bike bus at Beaverton School District’s Sexton Mountain Elementary School in the spring of 2024 has quickly grown into a community movement. By 2026, six bike buses are now regularly rolling students to school across Beaverton, with kids pedaling together rain or shine. Students say the rides are one of the best parts of their day, giving them a chance to have fun, stay active, and spend time with friends before the school bell rings. The growing popularity of bike buses highlights a shift toward healthier, more connected, and more sustainable school commutes.
TINY HOOVES, BIG SMILES
Rock Creek Elementary School relaunched its walking school bus program this year with a special guest leading the way — Waffles, a miniature horse who quickly became the star of the morning commute. Students gathered to walk to school together with friends while Waffles greeted families and trotted alongside the group, turning an ordinary trip into an unforgettable experience. Kids said walking with friends is always fun, but walking to school with a tiny horse made the day even more exciting and helped bring extra energy and enthusiasm to the program’s return.
WILLIAM WALKER'S FIRST WALK + ROLL
William Walker is known for having one of the smallest walk zones in the district. Surrounded by two busy, high-speed arterial roadways, the school has traditionally relied on busing to transport students safely to and from campus. As a result, many students have had limited opportunities to experience the benefits of walking or biking to school.
That changed this year thanks to a valuable community partnership. The Christian Meeting Place generously opened its gated parking lot, creating a safe and convenient starting point for William Walker families to participate in a walk-and-roll-to-school event.
On event days, Safe Routes to School(SRTS) staff met students and families atthe church parking lot and led a fun walk and bike ride to school. The route followed existing sidewalks allthe way to campus and required no street crossings, making it an accessible and comfortable experience for participants.
The park-and-walk, or drop-and-walk, option provided students with an opportunity to get active before the school day began while also giving families a chance to connect with one another. In addition to promoting physical activity,the program helped reduce vehicle congestion in the school's busy parking lot, creating a safer arrival experience for everyone.
STEPS TO SAFETY CAMPAIGN
Two schools partnered with us this year to kick off the school year with a focus on pedestrian safety. Midblock crossings can be a challenging safety concern, and the 6 Steps to Safety Campaign helps students and families build safer habits. The campaign begins with temporary painted footprints that guide students along the safest route to and from school, leading them to the nearest designated crossing. These colorful footprints are paired with safety messages from the school's mascot, reminding students to make safe choices and always cross at street corners. By combining visual cues with positive messaging, the campaign encourages safer walking behaviors and helps create a safer school travel environment for everyone.
IMPROVING ACCESS FOR VULNERABLE TRAVELERS
IIn 2024, we identified a need for safer and more accessible walking routes for students in the Community Transitions Program (CTP), which serves disabled young adults ages 18–21. Many students use wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids and depend on safe infrastructure to move independently throughouttheir day. This school year, students are benefiting from a new sidewalk and ADA-accessible curb cuts that provide a safer connection to the school cafeteria and a more directroute to nearby transit stops used for work-site travel and community activities. These improvements are an importantinvestmentin equity, ensuring that all students—regardless of ability—have safe, accessible access to the services, opportunities, and independence they deserve.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO BIKES AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT
We continued our partnership with Metro and WashCo Bikes to support equitable access to the equipment students need to travel safely by bike. Through this collaboration, we supported bike rodeos at four schools where school-identified students received refurbished bicycles along with helmets, locks, and lights to help them ride safely and confidently. In addition to serving students, these events were also open to the broader community. Families were able to receive free helmets, learn proper helmet fitting, participate in a bike safety skills course, and take advantage of free bike checks provided by trained mechanics. Together, these efforts help remove barriers to biking and promote safer, more equitable access to active transportation for all students.
DOLORES HUERTA COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR
The new Dolores Huerta Community Health Fair was created to celebrate the legacy of civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, with a focus on community strength, health, equity and youth empowerment.
The event brought together a wide range of partners and activities celebrating healthy living. Fifty school-identified students received refurbished bicycles, while families enjoyed live entertainment from Mariachi Alma de Beaverton and participated in activities hosted by THPRD Rec Mobile, Virginia Garcia Health Clinic, Adelante Mujeres, the Beaverton City Library, and the BSD Wellness Coordinator. Students also took part in a bicycle safety course, enjoyed snacks, and learned about Dolores Huerta’s legacy as a civil rights leader and advocate for community empowerment.
The event culminated the following week with a Walk and Roll to School event, extending the celebration of active transportation and encouraging students and families to continue practicing safe, healthy ways to travel to school.
Thank you to our high school volunteers and community partners whose support helped make this inaugural event a success.
SUPPORTING IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE STUDENTS
Several of our schools faced new challenges related to transportation safety. Increased immigration enforcement activity in and around school travel times impacted many families' ability to safely get children to and from school. In response, we provided guidance and support to existing walk leaders and coordinated daily Walking School Bus assistance at two of our most impacted schools. These routes offered additional support for families who were concerned about traveling to school. By working closely with school communities, we helped ensure that students could continue accessing safe, reliable transportation to school. These efforts reflect our commitment to equity and ensuring that all students and families feel supported, welcomed, and connected to their school community.
“My son is autistic and he doesn’t always think safety first. We are thankful for anything that brings attention to slowing down.” ~ Mural Neighbor
“Being able to do projects like this and protecting those that are more vulnerable to pedestrian incidents is really important to keeping our youth safe.” ~Pricilla Lam,12 Grade
BEAVERTON'S FIRST STREET MURAL
The High School Safe Routes Advisory Committee helped bring Beaverton's first street mural to life through the City of Beaverton's new street mural program. Students learned about research linking street murals to reduced vehicle speeds and selected a neighborhood street with high student pedestrian activity for the project. ACMA junior Everett Liddle led the design process, creating a mural inspired by the experience of biking through Beaverton's forests and looking up into the treetops. Students applied STEAM skills throughout the project, from designing the artwork to measuring and creating the installation grid, and conducted speed studies before and after installation to evaluate its impact. Thank you to our student volunteers, the City of Beaverton, and the ODOT Travel Options Sponsorship for making this innovative project possible.
IMPROVING DISMISSAL SAFETY
We partnered with Cedar Mill Elementary to implement a staggered dismissal process that allows students walking, biking and busing to clear the parking lot first, improving safety for students. Parents using valet style pickup now wait until after buses depart to enter the parking lot, while families picking up at dismissal park and walk to meet students at the school entrance. Thanks to the cooperation of families, school staff, and our team, the new system was successfully implemented and created a safer dismissal environment for everyone.
NEW SIDEWALKS IMPROVE ACCESS TO SCHOOL
Thanks to Washington County, students and families at Kinnaman and Hazeldale Elementary Schools now have safer walking routes to school. New sidewalks along the east side of Miller Hill Road and the west side of SW 195th Avenue provide improved connections for families walking and biking to Hazeldale Elementary. Additionally, new sidewalks on the east side of SW 188th Avenue create a safer and more accessible pedestrian route for Kinnaman Elementary students. These infrastructure improvements help connect neighborhoods to schools and support safer, more equitable transportation options for families.
STUDENTS IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
The High School Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee partnered with the City of Beaverton to collect and analyze crossing data near Beaverton High School and develop recommendations for safety improvements. As a result, the City installed a Leading Pedestrian Interval(LPI) at the intersection of SW Erickson Avenue and SW Farmington Road, giving pedestrians a 3–7 second head start before vehicles receive a green light. This project provided students with hands-on experience in transportation planning while helping create a safer crossing forthe community. Thank you to Kara Hall and the City of Beaverton for their partnership and support.
INTERNATIONAL WALK + ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY
We saw tremendous participation success across BSD, with 30 Walking School Buses and 4 Bike Buses helping students experience the fun, health, and community benefits of active transportation. This year included a new Bike Bus at Hazeldale Elementary and, most notably, the first-ever Walking School Bus for William Walker Elementary. Participation was high across the district, and students were excited for the chance to win a $50 Dick's Sporting Goods gift card to support future walk-and-roll activities. We also introduced a special appreciation gift for school office managers in recognition of the important role they play in coordinating event logistics and prize distribution. Thank you to all of our students, families, staff, and volunteers who made this celebration possible.
RUBY BRIDGES WALK TO SCHOOL DAY
Students across BSD celebrated Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day through walking school buses, bike buses, and our “I Am Ruby Bridges” Story Walk. Middle school WIN classes explored lessons on courage, bullying, and Ruby Bridges' role in the Civil Rights Movement, while high school students created educational displays for their school libraries. Through these activities, students reflected on the importance of inclusion, bravery, and standing up for others. We are grateful to the students, staff, and families who helped bring this meaningful day of learning and community engagement to life.
WINTER WALK + ROLL DAY
Winter Walk & Roll Day was a great success, with 18 schools participating and 20 Walking School Bus routes and 3 Bike Buses operating across the district. Events like this help foster the next generation of active Oregon commuters by demonstrating to students that walking and biking can be safe, fun, and practical in all kinds of weather. Rain or shine, students learn that the right gear—and a positive attitude—can keep them moving. As one fourth grader proudly shared, “Real Oregonians don’t need umbrellas!” Whether students choose an umbrella or not, they are building important lifelong skills, including how to dress for the weather, stay safe, and take pride in getting to school regardless of the forecast.
LOVE THE BUS WEEK
Winter Walk & Roll Day was a great success, with 18 schools participating and 20 Walking School Bus routes and 3 Bike Buses operating across the district. Events like this help foster the next generation of active Oregon commuters by demonstrating to students that walking and biking can be safe, fun, and practical in all kinds of weather. Rain or shine, students learn that the right gear—and a positive attitude—can keep them moving. As one fourth grader proudly shared, “Real Oregonians don’t need umbrellas!” Whether students choose an umbrella or not, they are building important lifelong skills, including how to dress for the weather, stay safe, and take pride in getting to school regardless of the forecast.
BIKE TO SCHOOL WEEK CELEBRATION
We kicked off our May Bike Week celebration with helmet fittings and bike safety education at Bike Beaverton. Through out the following week, the "Bike Fairy" visited schools across the district, leaving prizes for students who parked their bikes and scooters in school racks—a fun tradition highlighted by the ever-popular prize ducks. We visited every elementary, middle, high, and options school to celebrate students choosing active transportation. Across the district, 1,058 students rolled to school in a single day. Mountain View Middle School doubled its participation from last year, while Springville Elementary once again led the district with 147 students biking or scootering to school. Elementary schools recorded 581riders, surpassing the combined total of middle and high school participants, which reached 477 students.
SCOOTER TOWN MOVES INTO PE CURRICULUM
Our well-loved Scooter Town pedestrian safety lessons have now reached nearly every elementary school in the district. To ensure the program continues to thrive while allowing our team to expand and innovate, these lessons will now be embedded within physical education (PE) departments. We are grateful to our PE educators who will continue delivering this important instruction on a three-year rotation, ensuring all students leave elementary school with the knowledge and skills to travel safely in their communities. Our program will continue to provide materials and setup support for Scooter Town, while shifting its primary focus toward on-bicycle safety education and transportation safety lessons for older students
GREEN TEAM LESSONS & COMMUNITY ACTION
We offer an extensive menu of Green Team lessons and materials. We worked with four elementary school groups this year. These interactive lessons are designed to empower students to make a positive impact in their schools and community. A strong extension of this learning is launching student-led community action projects such as Idle-Free Campaigns or Walking School Buses. To support this work, we provide a toolkit of resources that helps streamline planning, organization, and promotion of these events. Through this collaboration, Green Teams gain access to additional resources and potential funding opportunities, while helping us connect with environmental champions within their school communities.
PROMOTING SAFER DRIVING IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES
We continue to listen to community feedback. Motorist behavior remains a key concern for pedestrian and bicycle safety. Reports of speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians, and red-light running are common safety concerns. To help improve awareness and behavior, we partnered with the Beaverton City Library and Commute Options to offer the Oregon Friendly Driver (OFD) course to new high school student drivers. The course provides education on best practices, traffic laws, and safe driving techniques to help students navigate the roadway network more responsibly. The goal of the program is to build a shared sense of responsibility among all road users—whether driving, biking, walking, or rolling—and to promote mutual respect and safer communities for everyone. Additionally, students on the High School Advisory Committee are working with school administrators to explore a parking pass discount incentive for students who complete the free online course.
SUMMER BICYCLE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
With summer ahead, we are excited to continue expanding bicycle education opportunities in partnership with THPRD. As we broaden our programming, we will offer two weeks of bike camp this summer at the Garden Home Recreation Center.
Camp options include “Wheelie Fun Safety Camp” for ages 5–7 and “Safe Trails” for ages 7–10, both focused on building foundational bike skills and safe riding habits.
In addition, our annual Bike Rodeo will be featured at the Kick Off Summer Concert at Mountainview Champions Park, where families can participate in helmet fittings, receive safety guidance, win prizes, and enjoy a fun bike skills course.
Our travel rates remain similar to last school year, with no significant change in drive rates. While these results are not yet where we want them to be, several schools saw encouraging progress. Hazeldale, Sato, and Highland Park increased their walk/bike rates by more than 5%, while Bonny Slope and Whitford reduced their drive rates by more than 5%.
These small wins keep the district moving in the right direction and provide valuable insight into which programs and initiatives are having the greatest impact, as well as where additional support may be needed.
“We love that the school encourages walking and biking!”
2025-2026 DISTRICT TRAVEL RATES
WALK/BIKE RATES BY SCHOOL 2026
This graph highlights walking and biking rates at BSD schools in 2026. While participation varies across the district, several Title I schools with lower active transportation rates are beginning to see new infrastructure investments, including sidewalks, crossing improvements, and safer routes to school. These projects will help remove barriers to walking and biking and create more opportunities for students to choose active transportation. We remain committed to advocating for safe, equitable infrastructure improvements, with a particular focus on supporting low-income students and historically underserved neighborhoods.
DRIVE RATES BY SCHOOL 2026
The graph above depicts school drive rates for 2026, with rates above 50% highlighted in green. The districtwide average drive rate remains at 36%, which is still well above the district goal of 30% and 2 percentage points higher than pre-pandemic levels. While the same five schools continue to have the highest drive rates compared to last year, four of the five schools have reduced their drive rates by as much as 4 percentage points.
This graph highlights parent concerns and barriers for walking and rolling to school as identified in our annual survey, categorized by type. While weather was the top concern last year, targeted efforts encouraging families to walk year-round— along with events, messaging, and winter walking supports—have helped shift perceptions. Speeding traffic and intersection safety along routes to school remain among the top three concerns. These issues continue to be a key focus of our work with city and county partners. Encouragingly, both are being addressed in new transportation plans currently under development, reflecting growing momentum toward safer school travel. environments.
PARENT-REPORTED BARRIERS TO SCHOOL TRAVEL
“We will walk wind, rain, or snow!”
PARENT COMMENTS
“My son started biking to school with friends this year. He loves the independence and I love that he can be social with friends on the ride to school.”
“We would love to walk or bike to school but there are no sidewalks or cross walks to get there. ”
"There’s no neighborhood or greenway path to school, only a busy arterial. Luckily my son enjoys time with friends on the bus so we only transport by car if we miss the bus!"
"We live too close to get bus service and while we enjoy walking to/from school I am consistently frustrated by the lack of sidewalk on what is supposed to be our ‘safe route’.”
“We have walked to school everyday. As a pedestrian, it would be nice if school could stress the importance of watching for pedestrians in the school parking lot. Some drivers are reckless when it comes to stop signs and crosswalks. Often cars block crosswalks and ignore stop signs. . ”
“We are thankful for both our school bus drivers. They are great with all the kids and made sure my preschooler was sitting up front close to them. They learned her name and this gave me peace of mind.”
CELEBRATING PROGRESS, COMMITTING TO THE JOURNEY AHEAD
Over the past seven years, we have built a strong foundation for safe, active, and sustainable transportation to school. Together with our school communities, partners, and families, we have expanded programs, increased participation, and created new opportunities for students to walk, bike, and roll to school. These accomplishments are worth celebrating and reflect how far we have come since the program began.
At the same time, we recognize that there is still significant work ahead. We remain far from our goal of reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips to school to less than 30 percent, and achieving that vision will require continued investment and collaboration.
Looking ahead, we are excited to pilot on-bicycle education as part of physical education classes at five schools next year. We will also continue working toward establishing paid walk leader positions at every elementary school and addressing the ongoing need for access to bicycles and helmets.
The next three years mark the beginning of a new grant cycle focused on bicycle education, transportation education for middle and high school students, and advocacy for continued investments that protect students traveling to and from school. If we want more students to walk, bike, and bus to school, they need protected sidewalks, connected bike lanes, adequate streetlighting, and enhanced crossings that make the route to school safe, welcoming, and enjoyable for all.
As we celebrate our progress, we remain committed to the work ahead and the vision of making active transportation a realistic option for every student.