Safe Routes to School – Encouragement

The Santa Fe Safe Routes to School team has been excited to work with SFPS schools to set up “walking school busses,” “bike trains,” and other ways to promote regularly walking or bicycling to and from school.  From Summer of 2021 to the end of 2023, we walked or biked with over over 4,200 students and nearly 6,400 overall participants headed to one of over a dozen SFPS schools, as summarized below:

schoolsevents# of students# of adultstotal # of participants
Summer 20212713616152
Fall 2021*32113695231
Spring 2022639384211596
Fall 202267112505171767
Spring 202388210815651646
Summer 202324373067
Fall 20231110112017321933
Total 2021-2312325422521666392
* – incomplete reporting of student participation

Details on these activities across the semesters can be found here while more detailed summaries of participation by school season are provided in the links at the bottom of this page.

Walk and Roll to School Week, Oct. 3-6, 2023 – pdf version

Walk and Roll to School events with Santa Fe Public Schools in Fall of 2023 included TEN schools participating on a regular basis:

  • Acequia Madre Elementary School, Bike on Fridays from Patrick Smith Park (7:30 am)
  • Amy Biehl Community School, Wednesdays from Rancho Viejo Plaza Park (7:30 am)
  • Aspen Community School, Thursdays from Griego Park on the River Trail (7:30 am)
  • Chaparral Elementary School, Fridays from Ragle Park Shade Structure (7:30 am)
  • El Camino Real Academy, Wednesdays from Park by Cottonwood Village office (7:30 am)
  • Kearny Elementary School, Thursdays from Herb Martinez Park (7:30 am) and Resolana Park (7:40 am)
  • Nina Otero Community School, Bike on Tuesdays from SWAN Park (7:10 am), Walk on Wednesdays from South Side Library (7:10 am). Students and families headed to Cesar Chavez ES or Capital HS always welcome!
  • Ortiz Middle School, Bike on First Tuesday of month from South Side Library (8:15 am)
  • Ramirez-Thomas Elementary School, Fridays from Dawson’s Park or corner of Griego & Joshua (7:30 am)
  • Salazar Elementary School, Fridays from Frenchy’s Field / Maclovia Park (7:30 am)

In addition, as part of the celebration of National Walk and Roll to School Day(s) in October, we walked to Piñon Elementary School on Friday Oct. 20 from Pueblos del Sol Park (7:30 am).

Some of the most successful promotions start with participating in National Walk and Roll to School Day in October or National Bike to School Day in May.  Schools may arrange a walk-to-school or bike-to-school procession of students and families from a popular nearby site, such as a park, or simply encourage students to arrive on foot or by bike.

Check out these links to see some of the fun walk- and bike-to-school events we have helped put together with our focus schools:

Summaries of participation in Walking School Busses and Bike Trains, by School Season:

SFCT has celebrated National Bike-to-School Day for years.  Here are some links to events organized by SFCT that pre-date the federally-funded SFSRTS initiative: