Safe Routes To Schools

Safe Routes to School (Safe Routes) programs encourage students in grades K-12 to walk or ride their bicycle to and from school. The program helps make it safer for students to walk and bike.

In 2020, we partnered with Lorain County Public Health and community partners to create School Travel Plans (STP). The School Travel Plan guides Oberlin’s Safe Routes Program.

Oberlin received funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation to carry out these Safe Routes activities in the 2021- 2022, 2022 - 2023, 2023 - 2024 and 2024 - 2025 school years:

Communications Campaign. Oberlin will increase awareness of Safe Routes through district and community communications and marketing. The campaign will use local partners to share school and student-endorsed safety messages that encourage people to change their travel behaviors.

Bike, Walk & Roll to School Day. This program engages families,students, local law enforcement, school leaders and community partners in learning a route to school with maps and bike, walk & roll to school events. The activities will result in a system for regular bike, walk & roll to school days and encourage families to bike, walk or roll to school often.

Safety Patrol. This student-led initiative will allow students to develop leadership skills and model safe travel behaviors. This peer influence increases the likelihood that students will follow safe travel behaviors.

Contact Information

Catherine Mavrich

CMavrich@LorainCountyHealth.com

(440) 322-6367

Jay Nimene, Director of Student and Family Support

JNimene@OberlinSchols.net

(440) 776-4657

The Benefits of Safe Routes

Safe Routes programs benefit the health and safety of students. They also can result in improved learning, better student transportation, and more engagement with the community. Studies show that other benefits from Safe Routes initiatives include:

● Safer students. When students learn about and practice road safety, they get more confident and traffic safety improves.

● Healthier students. Students get more daily physical activity, forming healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Physical activity helps students build strong bones, muscles and joints, and decrease the risk of chronic disease and obesity.

● More focused students. Physical activity improves focus and concentration, which can lead to better academic performance.

● School transportation solutions. Safe Routes programs may address concerns like reduced or no bus service, dangerous traffic congestion at pick-up/drop-off times, and student absences and tardiness due to transportation challenges.

● Community connections. Families and the community become more engaged, providing positive social opportunities for students and families.