Gresham Safe Routes to School
The City partners with local schools to provide resources and opportunities to make walking, biking and rolling to school a fun and safe experience.
Benefits
- Physical exercise for participants
- Reduced traffic congestion
- Enhanced focus on safety around schools
- Resources and event support, including signage, incentives, maps, posters, surveys and permission forms
- Encouragement activities such as Walking School Buses and Bike Trains
- Action plans to develop solutions for walking and biking safely
- School partners include: Powell Valley elementary school, Dexter McCarty, HB Lee, and Gordon Russell middle schools
Safety tips
- Be reflective: Drivers can see pedestrians and bicyclists from farther away when they shine. For example, you are visible from 500 feet away when you wear reflective clothing, compared to just 55 feet away when you wear dark, non-reflective clothing.
- Add more shine: Wear shoes, backpacks, jackets and other clothing with reflective materials. Add reflective tape and strips to your shoes, backpack, purse, bicycle, jacket sleeves, pant legs - really, anywhere and everywhere! Reflective vests and hats are great as well.
- Use lights freely: Headlights, arm bands with lights, leg bands with blinking lights, small blinking lights on your coat, purse or backpack – all of these items can help you be seen, whether you're walking or biking.
- Be alert: Pedestrians should always use crosswalks when available, and make eye contact with drivers to ensure they see you. When you're behind the wheel yourself, be alert and practice extra caution during rain and low-light conditions.
For more information on bicycling and pedestrian safety, visit TriMet's
Be seen. Be safe. webpage.