Why Safe Routes to School Matters

Our Safe Routes to School programs help kids in the Treasure Valley build the skills and confidence they need to walk, bike, and roll safely in their everyday lives. Through in-class safety lessons, walkabouts, and on-bike training rides on roadways, sidewalks, and pathways, students learn how to navigate real-world conditions. During walkabouts, students practice how to safely cross streets, identify hazards, and make smart choices in their own school neighborhoods. Our bike and scooter rodeos, helmet fittings, and basic bike repair support remove barriers to participation and help every student travel more safely.

Our programming serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout Ada and Canyon counties, which means many students participate year after year. This allows us to build on skills over time, adding new tools and reinforcing safe behaviors as kids grow, gain independence, and begin traveling farther from home.

Safe Routes to School also reaches new and young drivers, partnering with driver’s education programs to teach how to safely share the road with and look out for pedestrians and bicyclists, especially in school zones and residential neighborhoods.

Beyond individual education, we support schools and school districts by creating walking and biking maps and conducting pick-up and drop-off audits. These audits help reduce conflict points between people walking, biking, and driving, improve traffic flow, and make school arrival and dismissal safer and less stressful for everyone.

Safe Routes to School supports physical and mental health by encouraging daily movement, reducing stress, and helping students arrive at school ready to learn. Just as importantly, it builds essential life skills, empowering students to feel confident navigating their communities.

At its core, Safe Routes to School is about partnership and community. We work closely with schools, families, city staff, law enforcement, and local organizations, while also providing input on sidewalks, crossings, bike lanes, and other infrastructure projects. Together, we’re helping ensure the Treasure Valley is designed with kids and everyone who walks and bikes in mind.

Alex Hackett

Canyon County Coordinator