to Atksinson Elementary in Southeast.
(Photo: Rob Sadowsky)
The streets were busy with kids and parents on bikes and on foot this morning as over 60 local schools took part in International Walk and Bike to School Day. From Sellwood to St. Johns, hundreds of people enjoyed a sunny, crisp morning to exercise their transportation options and get to school under their own power.
Here are photos and videos of just some of the action…
Thanks to video ace Dan Kaufman, we can enjoy the buzz of activity around the crowded bike racks of Llewellyn School in Sellwood (the audio is great too, you can hear a giddy kid saying, “I saw you on your bike!” to her friend among other things):
And just for good measure, check out this photo of the packed bike racks at Llewellyn:
At Atkinson Elementary School in Southeast Portland, students, Mayor Adams, and school principal Debbie Armendariz posed for a photo-op…
The Tour de Ladd at Abernethy Elementary in Southeast looked to be another big success. Check the 5th graders lining up:
Abernethy parent Shetha Nolke sent in this photo of a bike train:
Abernethy even made the morning news! Check this segment from KGW TV :
What if your child goes to school downtown? Can you still bike to school? Heck yes! Look at the crowded racks at Emerson School on the North Park Blocks:
BTA staffer Margaux Mennesson stopped by Emerson to see the action first hand. She saw, “Four bike trains, lots of colorful handmade signs, and a big poster next to the school entrance where each student put a tally to show how they got to school.”
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Emerson’s walk and bike coordinator Amy Higgs tallied up the results:
- Walkers: 27
- Bikers: 31
- Public transportation riders: 10
- Car riders: 58
In an email, Higgs said that, while most kids still got to school in a car, “There were significantly more students (69) who used an active way to get to school. For an urban school with people coming from all over of the city, I think that’s pretty good.”
It’s a good thing Beach School in North Portland just installed a bunch of new bike racks. Check this shot sent in from Beach parent Bryn Dearborn…
From the looks and sounds of the morning, I think it’s safe to say this was the biggest and best Walk and Bike to School Day Portland has ever had. Statistically, more schools than ever participated and, according to City of Portland Safe Routes to School program manager Gabe Graff, there was “an impressive show of support for Safe Routes to School” by the bigwigs at Atkinson. Graff gives credit on the day to all the volunteers that make it possible.
Family biking is the Next Big Thing for biking here in Portland and making sure our streets are safe for kids should be the standard by which we measure our transportation success.
What did you see out on the streets this morning? Did you make an extra effort to bike or walk with the kids to school today?