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Committee reviews Safe Routes to School history and seeks better school‑by‑school outreach
Summary
Staff summarized previous Safe Routes to School work (a 2005 grant, physical and non‑physical measures) and members discussed barriers to parent participation and ideas such as bike trains, school materials and using the Portsmouth newsletter to boost participation.
Staff reviewed previous Safe Routes to School work, noting the city benefited from a grant (circa 2005) that funded pedestrian and bicycle improvements at five schools and that many recommendations were later integrated into the 2014 and 2025 bike/ped master plans. Examples of completed measures include curb bump‑outs, enhanced sidewalks and the Lincoln Ave bike boulevard.
Committee members raised outreach challenges and suggested school‑by‑school approaches, more information in the Portsmouth newsletter, and informational materials to help parents start walking or bike 'trains.' Staff said the bike to school day and recreation partnerships (bike rodeos) have been used as outreach tools but acknowledged that success varies by school and that the department can support principals and the school department with materials and website information.
The committee recommended the subgroup create starter materials and a possible public meeting to help parent volunteers create ongoing walking or biking programs for their local schools.
