Skip sidebar navigation
Services

Traffic Playgrounds

What is a traffic playground?

Traffic playgrounds are fun, kid-sized versions of real streets. Designed to look like a mini version of Gresham’s streets and neighborhoods. These playgrounds give kids (and adults) a safe place to walk, bike and roll, without any cars around.

Traffic playgrounds include:

  • Travel lanes
  • Crosswalks
  • Stop signs
  • Pretend places like parks, shops and schools.

Bring your feet, your wheels, your friends, and your imagination!

  • Stop signs at the entrance of Davis Park with a child riding a bike in the distance.
  • Child riding a bike by a Pedestrian Crossing sign.
  • Child and adult riding bikes in the traffic playground at Davis Park.
  • Child riding on scooter in a park.
  • Aerial view of a traffic playground at Pat Pfeifer Park.

1 of 6

  • There are all kinds of traffic playgrounds – some pop up with spray paint and others have signs and painted paths. But they all have the same goal: giving people a safe, playful space to practice walking, biking, and rolling without having to worry about cars.

  • Traffic signs help kids learn about safety. 

  • Pedestrian crossing signs remind people on bikes to slow down and let people walking go first.

  • Traffic playgrounds are a fun and safe place for families to play and learn together.

  • Traffic playgrounds are a safe and fun place to practice walking, biking, and rolling without worrying about cars.

  • An aerial view of a traffic playground at Pat Pfeifer Park. 

  • Traffic Playground Locations
  • Traffic Skills to Practice
Traffic Playground Locations

Pat Pfeifer Park

424 NE 172nd Ave.
Visit Gresham’s first traffic playground for a place to play and practice road safety on the painted pavement.  

Davis Park

404 NE 194th Ave.

Thanks to Metro funding, the City installed its first permanent traffic playground. The path is painted to look like parts of a real street so people can practice their skills. Reach out to City staff if you would like to host a traffic safety event at the park.  

Traffic Skills to Practice

Safety tips

Always wear a helmet when riding bikes, scooters, and skateboards!

For people walking

  • Pedestrians have the right-of-way. But always look both ways before crossing in the crosswalk.
  • Make eye contact. Give people on wheels time to stop for you before entering the crosswalk.

For bicycles, scooters and wheelchairs

  • Stop at stop sings. Look left, right, and left again before going.
  • Always ride on the right side of the road.
  • Look for people in the crosswalk and let them cross before you.
  • Practice using hand signals to show which way you're going. 

Activity ideas

  • Be a bus or MAX driver or transit rider. Where will you go in the neighborhood?
  • Practice bike hand signals. How steady can you ride with one hand? How far?
  • Have a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Pick different locations around the traffic playground (school, grocery store, etc.) and use proper rules of the road to get there.
  • Right-of-way game. Choose who will be a pedestrian, emergency vehicle or regular vehicle and follow the rules of the road accordingly. Everyone yields for emergency vehicles; regular vehicles yield to pedestrians. Change up who gets to play each role.
  • Make believe. Just have fun!  

Contact

Safe Routes to School coordinators Carly.Rice@GreshamOregon.gov or Jay.Higgins@GreshamOregon.gov.