Back to School Safety Reminders

Published on September 03, 2024

The new school year is here! As students make their way to school and head home, there will be more pedestrian, bicycle, skateboard and vehicle traffic in the community. Commuters can expect increased congestion throughout the school week and build time into their schedules. Residents may also notice police officers present in school zones helping with pedestrian safety, as well as safe loading and unloading of students.

As part of the City’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities by 2040, follow these tips:

• Know safe routes to school and agree on a place to meet parents or guardians after school.
• Wear a helmet when bicycling, riding a scooter, skating or skateboarding.
• Ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic.
• Follow the directions of school crossing guards and stow handheld devices to avoid distraction via talking or texting.
• Pay attention to what is going on around you.
• Provide the school office with current emergency contact information.

Check out the Safe Routes to School page for Citywide Walk and Roll Maps, info on staying safe around train tracks and more resources for students and their families. As a reminder, you can register your bicycle to ensure authorities can quickly locate the owner of any recovered stolen bicycles.