A Year In Review Safe Routes to School Gilroy

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) had another successful year in Gilroy.  The Gilroy Bicycle Pedestrian Commission (#GilroyBPAC) along with Santa Clara County Public Health (SCCPHD) took a leadership position in getting all the stakeholders in the City to come together to form a Safe Routes to School Task Force. SCCPHD secured funding to lead us through the formation of our action plan, which will guide and sustain the program for the long term. 

We presented our 2018 work plan to City Council and SRTS is our top priority.  One reason why is the economic benefits that spill over into the City when we stay local and play local.  When you engage the youth to walk and ride to school they become more comfortable with their streets, neighbors, and surroundings.  Suddenly walking and riding to Downtown, Gilroy Gardens, Sports Park, Nob Hill, The Patio, and the newest Hecker Pass Ag-Tourist project along the Bike/Ped path seem a lot quicker and easier than driving in your car. Shifty Cycles has free bike valet for Downtown Live, Tamal Festival, and Bonanza Day Parade.  Look for more Bike/Ped oriented open streets events.

The Gilroy BPAC plans on introducing a resolution to City Council to recognize Walk & Roll each Wednesday. Rucker Elementary will have their first Walk & Roll Wednesday in October. We reached out to each High School last year to participate in the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Bike to the Future Event which was held at Gilroy Gardens, and several students that have been leaders in their middle school SRTS programs are moving onto High School.  Our Gilroy BPAC April Monthly Award recipient Karina Rodriguez plans to start a SRTS Committee at Gilroy High School. 

The Specialized Foundation Riding For Focus program began this year at Ascencion Solorsano Middle School. We helped P.E. Teacher Anthony Fucella apply for the grant and we wrote a letter of support for this great program. 

I’m excited to announce that getting a bike park located in Gilroy has made it farther than ever when City Council unanimously approved direction to staff to draft a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Gilroy and Garlic City BMX so that Garlic City BMX can proceed with site evaluation, project development, and fundraising activities for the construction of a proposed dirt pump track at Christmas Hill Park.  Having places like this that are open to public year round in our parks support our efforts for biking to school and playing local.  You will be able to access the pump track from the current bike/ped trails.

SRTS summary reports for residential developments are in the packets for Planning Commission and City Council now.  This is information for them to see what the strengths and weaknesses are for current infrastructure.

We encourage you to nominate someone for our monthly award within Gilroy that strives to make Gilroy a better place in regards to biking and pedestrian activities.   Come to one of our meetings on the 4^th Tuesday of each month 6pm at the City Council Chambers, or email any of us.  http://www.cityofgilroy.org/280/Bicycle-Pedestrian-Commission  We are constantly advocating for Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, and bicycle/pedestrian friendly infrastructure. 

The youth in our community will shape the future, but its up to us to show them the way.  Like Mark Fenton has famously said lets create a community full of “free range children”!  If you are looking for ways to get involved then look to the schools that need parent volunteers and join a City of Gilroy Commission.  The Bicycle Pedestrian Commission will have one open seat this December.

Role of a City Commissioner

The role of a City Commissioner is one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Commissioners are appointed by the City Council after an application and interview process in the public view.  They provide direct feedback to the City Council in areas that they study and advocate for. They set goals each year based off what the City Council's goals are.  They work for the City Council, and align with them.  They create work plans and bring fresh new ideas to the table. Being a Commissioner means that you put the needs of the Community before yours. 

It's up to those in the Community that want to get involved, go get involved. You can't come in last minute and expect change to occur. To be apart of the process is more than just showing up to a few meetings and missing others. It's about watching and reading minutes from all involved. I do feel that the City should enhance their transparency by providing audio/video recording of select Commissions.  Reading minutes and agendas isn’t the best way to enhance transparency and get engagement of the Community.  Going LIVE on social media and other outlets would be ideal.  As a Commissioner you should know the direction of the Council and watch a project go through the process. You can see the current projects on the City’s website under Community Development.  Projects go through months and years of planning, and every step of the way gains public comment that is used. 

Commissions have historically provided a platform for those that want to run for City Council and Mayor because you can gain experience with the process from a different point.  You get to know the City Staff, City Council, and developers from meetings.  It’s a position for you to show the voters what you can accomplish and build a trust with the Community.  It’s your duty to act professionally while representing your Commission locally and regionally.

  

Safe Routes to School in Gilroy

I wrote this back in September 2017 at the beginning of the school year.  So much has happened in the current school year that I am working on an end of school year wrap up as well.  Thanks for reading.

September 2017-

With another school year underway the Safe Routes to School program is in full swing.  As I’m writing this Luigi Aprea Elementary and Rod Kelley Elementary both have hosted Family Bike Night’s at their schools.  Walk & Roll Wednesday’s will soon begin at all the schools.  There is a Bike Fest planned at the Gilroy Library featuring the City of Gilroy’s first free fix-it bike station on Sept 30, and October 4^this International Walk to School Day.  El Roble is planning their first Walk & Roll Wednesday for October 4^thand I will be leading one of the two bike trains to school.   We will be meeting at Uvas Park Dr/3^rdSt and making our way down 3^rdSt with several stops at the intersections before we make it safely to El Roble Elementary.   All the schools will be asking Gilroy Police and Gilroy Fire to get involved with the walking school buses and bike trains.  How cool would it be for the kids to get an escort from them to school!

Safe Routes to School are important for our youth today.  More children and parents are getting out of the cars for walking, biking, and rolling to school.   Just a simple 1-mile of walking each way to school equals 2/3^rdof the daily recommended 60 minutes of physical activity.  When children access school this way they learn their streets, neighbors, and reduce the traffic congestion around schools.  

You can expect to start seeing walking school buses and bike trains.   One of the best ways to attract more kids to walk/bike to school is through events at the schools, and then sending home material to the parents.  The kid’s become the biggest advocates to letting them walk/bike more and especially to school.

Building a network of Safe Routes to School is something that the City of Gilroy Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Gilroy (BPAC) takes very serious and we advocate for it.  Santa Clara County Public Health is a major partner too.  They have secured grants for Gilroy Elementary, Middle, and High Schools for the next several years.  Santa Clara County’s Measure B will provide funding annually to the City of Gilroy that is allocated for bicycle and pedestrian education.  Gilroy Police Department recently received a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety that includes education for bicycle and pedestrians.   

Our schools are strategically located and planned for the neighborhoods.   It really starts during the development of neighborhoods.   It makes a huge impact when advocates encourage developers and planners to put in the biking and pedestrian infrastructure. We should be able to freely get around the neighborhood while connecting to the current walk/bike network and schools.   In the past City Staff would present City Council with a section on “transportation to schools” from a development by car.   The Gilroy BPAC reached out to the City of Gilroy Planning Department and shared the Safe Routes to School alternative.  We are hoping from here on that City Staff present the Safe Routes to School along with transportation via car.

You will be seeing Santa Clara County Public Health, Gilroy BPAC, and volunteers with clipboards around the schools in the morning.  They are conducting walk/bike audits, which help prepare suggested Safe Routes to School maps for each individual school.   This will be a great feature to hand out to the kids.  

The Gilroy BPAC encourages you to nominate someone for our monthly award within Gilroy that strives to make Gilroy a better place in regards to biking and pedestrian activities.   Come to one of our meetings on the 4^thTuesday of each month 6pm at the City Council Chambers, or email any of us.  http://www.cityofgilroy.org/280/Bicycle-Pedestrian-Commission We are constantly advocating for Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, and bicycle/pedestrian friendly infrastructure.  

The youth in our community will shape the future, but its up to us to show them the way.  Like Mark Fenton has famously said lets create a community full of “free range children”!  If you are looking for ways to get involved then look to the schools that need parent volunteers and join a City of Gilroy Commission.  The Parks & Recreation Commission will have two open seats at the end of the year and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission will have one open seat.