Safe Routes to School was the focus of a meeting at White Center Heights Elementary on April, 14 that was in part a response to the Walking Audit that was done at the school in December. Cascade Bicycle Club, Feet First, King County Food and Fitness Initiative and the White Center Community Development Association all took part in reviewing safety issues centered on children's travel to and from school. How they get there, where they go, and issues around traffic, parking and more were all discussed.

A major problem with getting kids to ride bikes to school is theft. The fear is so common that in the audit only 1 person rode a bike to school. To address this the school is planning on providing an enclosed space or an outdoor locker where up to 20 bikes can be safely locked until the end of the day.

Jennifer Almgren of Cascade Bicycle Club with the assistance of Ariana Taylor-Stanley of King County Food and Fitness demonstrated in a light hearted but graphic way the importance of wearing a bike helmet. Using honeydew melons, Almgren first took "Jenny the Honeydew" , equipped with a helmet and dropped it from around 4 feet. No damage. Taylor-Stanley took another melon from the same height, no helmet and dropped it, with a distinct splitting sound on impact.

Safe Routes to School programs are building momentum nation-wide, with support from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, which funded the meeting by providing a $1000 mini-grant, as part of an effort to encourage safe walking and bicycling to and from school. The grant is being used in part to provide helmets for children and to fund further educational programs coinciding with Bike to School Month in May.

The Walking Audit offered these "Top Observations":

· The Greenbridge neighborhood has state-of-the-art amenities for people on foot. Many of the problems in this area will be addressed with educational and enforcement efforts for proper use of the shared space.
· There is a dramatic difference in the walking experience once leaving Greenbridge and entering the older residential neighborhood to the south, which lack sidewalks and other basic pedestrian infrastructure. Many problems here will require engineering solutions as well as enforcement efforts to reduce risk to pedestrians.
· Pedestrian, school bus, and vehicle entry locations are physically separated, making drop-off and pick- up better than they would otherwise be at this school. However, safety concerns in both the parking area and bus zone area need to be addressed "

and these "Top Recommendations":

· The intersection of 4th Avenue and 102nd Street has several urgent needs before it can be considered a suitable place for children to walk without parental supervision. This intersection should be prioritized for sidewalks and curbs to connect existing gaps, maintenance of overgrowth, and squaring off curb radii.
· The crossing guard at 8th Avenue and 100th Street needs to be retained and increased to include a second guard.
· The main school entrance / parking lot area is a difficult environment for pedestrians and holds potential for more difficulty as new housing is completed. WCH should apply for funding from the Washington Traffic Safety Committee to bring a student patrol program for help in the school drop-off / pick-up area.

You can download the full Walking Audit here or at the link above.