Marengo PTA tells Public Safety Commission it has launched Active Transportation program to boost walking and biking to school

Michael Siegel, with the Marengo Parent Teacher Association, told the Public Safety Commission that the PTA is piloting an Active Transportation Program for Marengo Elementary that aims to increase walking and biking to school and reduce traffic congestion.

The program combines a weekly bike bus (Tuesdays), a walk-to-school day (Fridays), periodic bike clinics to teach children to ride, and surprise “activity zones” with giveaways and entertainment to encourage repeat participation. Siegel said the bike bus draws about 30 riders on his route and the walk program drew more than 20 participants on its first organized day, Aug. 30. The PTA has added a third walking route and said clinics will be held on the school playground so children can learn in an enclosed space.

Why it matters: Siegel told commissioners that active commuting improves student health and attention, reduces vehicle congestion and air pollution near campus, and teaches children independence and traffic-safety skills. He asked the police and fire departments to increase visible support — for example, officers joining the bike bus on ebikes or parking marked vehicles nearby — because officer presence, he said, has improved driver compliance at crossings.

Details of the program include a bicycle pillar and a walking pillar: the bike bus runs in multiple routes and is led and chaperoned by parents to improve visibility and teach rules of the road; bike clinics will teach children who do not yet know how to ride; and the walk-to-school events use two activity zones (at Oak & Marengo and Oak & Monterey) that include occasional vendors and entertainers. Siegel said vendors and partners who have agreed to participate include Trader Joe’s, a local restaurant (Vicinos), the South Pasadena Jugglers Club and The Hive (arts activities). He said the PTA has scheduled at least two bike clinics and plans more if demand continues.

On infrastructure and logistics: Siegel told the commission the district has purchased additional bike racks that would provide roughly 18 bike spaces once installed by the school district; the PTA is waiting on that installation. He acknowledged after-school access and bike retrieval can be a challenge because school facilities lock after hours. Siegel also said scooters are accommodated depending on the child’s age: some kindergarteners use scooters on walk days and older children on bike days.

Liability and safety controls: Commissioners raised liability and supervision questions. Siegel described a rule set for the program: dedicated parent riders lead and trail the groups, other parents ride alongside, and organizers review rules weekly. He said those measures are intended to reduce risk while allowing children to learn through supervised practice.

Next steps and asks: The PTA described the work as a pilot with data collection planned through the school year; if successful the PTA plans to present findings to the PTA Council for consideration districtwide. Siegel asked for visible officer participation on some mornings and volunteers to staff activity zones. He left contact information for follow-up.

Siegel said the program is intentionally designed to be fun and random — weekly entertainment and small giveaways encourage families to participate frequently and build long-term habits.