Safe Routes To School

 

Kids learning to move and be physically active as part of ordinary life – like going to school! – and then inspiring their parents, teachers, principals, neighbors, community to do the same is, in our opinion, a powerful means to sustainable well-living and healthfulness.

Independent, happy, confident, ready to learn youth are empowered to be guardians of their health, develop lifelong habits to move more and sit less and be leaders in their community.

Norte administers Safe Routes To School programs across the Traverse City area as well as in Northport and Elk Rapids. Our programs, projects, and events are dedicated to empowering students of all ages to be active for life.

Programs:

  • Fridays Fantástico: A weekly celebration of students walking, biking and rolling to school.
  • The Great Northern Michigan Bike Train Experiment: A community-wide network of adult-led bike train connecting schools in northern Michigan.
  • Winter Walk Wednesdays: A #StepItUp inspired celebration of people – big or small – walking to work, school or just for FUN! in Traverse City.
  • Park & Stroll: For those students who attend a school of choice or live too far away from their home school. Drive. Park. Walk 5 minutes to school. Easy.
  • Bike2Bus: Portable bike racks at neighborhood bus stops and mapping of safe routes to these racks to encourage “biking to bus”.
  • The Bike Mas Project: An adventure-based after-school empowerment program for upper elementary students.
  • El Barrio Bike Fix: A pop-up bike fix and learn-to-wrench program.
  • Estrellas: A learn-to-ride program for preschoolers using balance bikes.
  • Norte Bike Library: Ensuring that awesome kids have awesome bikes to pedal to school no matter their family’s resources.

Events:

 The benefits of walking and biking to school are many, of course:

  • better concentration in class
  • less traffic congestion near schools
  • improved cognitive abilities
  • stronger sense of community
  • more exercise
  • safer streets: communities with the higher walk/bike rates have lower crash rates for all travel modes
  • a distraction-free time to connect with families and classmates
  • less air pollutants from automobiles

Partner schools:

STRS infrastructure projects in progress:

Community Partners:

Passionate about kids getting themselves to YOUR school? Get involved!

  • Ideas on what should be done to make your school more walkable/bikeable? Spots for Park & Stroll locations? Routes for bike trains or walking buses? What safety concerns do you see around your school? How can we better encourage and empower more kids to actively get themselves to your school?