Partner spotlight: Portland Safe Routes to School

CPPW partnership results in first-ever equity policy

The City of Portland’s Safe Routes to School program has been around for more than a decade working to educate and ensure that Portland students can walk and bike to school safely.  Though the program has always focused on bringing walking and biking opportunities to as many students as possible, equity has never had a place in a formal policy . . . until now.

In early 2012, Portland Safe Routes to School (SR2S) staff will adopt an inaugural policy that focuses on providing safe routes to Portland’s students in an equitable manner. This means taking a closer look at schools that serve disadvantaged groups like, students of color, students living in poverty, and students with language barriers; and making sure they have the same opportunity as others for safe routes to school .

The new policy is the result of a partnership between SR2S staff, Multnomah County Health Department, the City of Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement, El Programa Hispano, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) and the SR2S Stakeholder Advisory Committee.  Each partner brought critical skills and unique experience to the policy table.

El Programa Hispano and IRCO were especially vital in ensuring that the policy reflected the needs of the city’s most disadvantaged students. Their experience working with these students and their families brought a heightened awareness of community need to the policy development process.  Both IRCO and El Programa Hispano are working on independent projects related to walking and biking to school that were also aided by work on this policy.

Portland Safe Routes to School is a partnership of the City of Portland, schools, neighborhoods, community organizations and agencies. The organization advocates for and implements programs that make walking and biking around our neighborhoods and schools fun, easy, safe and healthy for all students and their families while reducing our reliance on cars.

“This policy will guide us in the delivery of our programs and services as well as be a tool for our community partners as we all work toward the goal of encouraging Portland students to take the active trip to school,” said Sara Schooley, SR2S staff.

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