San Francisco, CA — Today, Julie Kirschbaum, Director of Transportation of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and Dr. Maria Su, Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) joined students, staff and community members at Frank McCoppin Elementary School to celebrate Bike & Roll to School Week, celebrated citywide from May 5 to May 9.
Led by SFMTA’s Safe Routes to School Program, this annual event encourages students to bike, walk or roll to school—supporting access to healthier and more sustainable transportation options. Held during National Bike Month, the celebration is part of a citywide effort to highlight the benefits of biking and builds upon SFMTA’s work to advance San Francisco’s long-term transportation, safety and climate goals.
“Biking and rolling is a clean and fun way for students to get around,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “It’s made possible by engaged families, students, and leaders who believe in building a culture that values sustainability, self-determination, and safe streets.”
“Bike & Roll to School Week is an amazing opportunity to celebrate the joy and freedom that comes with getting to school under your own power,” said Maria Su, SFUSD Superintendent. “Whether students arrive to school on bikes, scooters, skateboards, or wheelchairs, they’re making healthy, sustainable choices that benefit both themselves and our community. We’re proud to be part of the Safe Routes to School program and all the students throughout San Francisco who are rolling into the future—stronger, greener, and together."
Student travel survey shows biking and transit use on the rise, surpassing pre-pandemic levels
Every two years, the Safe Routes to School Program surveys how students travel to and from school to track shifting travel behavior. The latest survey, covering 10,000 students from 95 SFUSD schools shows that:
- Biking has doubled, increasing from 1% to 2%—more popular now than pre-pandemic
- Transit use accounts for 27% of all school trips, surpassing pre-pandemic levels
- Walking remains steady, with kindergarteners walking most to and from school, 24% of total trips
- Nearly half of high school students now ride transit to school (48%)
- Car trips are trending down toward pre-pandemic levels, now at 49%
These trends show the ongoing importance of community engagement, infrastructure improvements, and affordable Muni service—giving students safer, more convenient options to get to school without relying on a car.
Making school trips safer
Ensuring San Francisco’s streets and roads remain safe for students getting to and from school is a key priority for the SFMTA. To date, the city has implemented a range of safety improvements and programs, including:
- 15 mph school zones in place at 100% of eligible schools—the first large city in California to meet this milestone
- 100+ traffic calming improvements completed in FY 2023–24 on streets within 1,000 feet of schools
- School walk audit Program engages with 10 school communities each year to assess street conditions and recommend safety upgrades
- Crossing Guard Programs: managing the Crossing Guard program, with over 160 crossing guards at 107 schools
- Free Muni for Youth: providing free Muni service to thousands of SFUSD students, and special “school tripper” service which provides extra afternoon buses that start at school sites to ease crowding on key routes during the school year
In March, the SFMTA launched the School Daylighting Program to improve visibility and safety at intersections near schools. The agency aims to daylight all intersections 600 feet within schools citywide by the end of the year and has already completed nearly 60% of the work since March.
These improvements aim to make it safer, more comfortable, and more practical for students and families to bike and roll to school, especially in busy congested school areas, by providing them with additional practical transportation options.
About Safe Routes to School
The Safe Routes to School program was created to help to make walking and bicycling to school safer and more accessible for children, including those with disabilities, and to increase the number of children who choose to walk, bicycle, take public transit, or ride in parental carpools. This program organizes walks and biking groups to school, teaches students basic transportation safety, and provides information on how students can take Muni around the City, building important travel and independence skills.
In the 2023 - 2024 school year, the program supported:
- 155 Safe Routes events, including the Muni to School Week, Bike and Roll to School Week, and Walk and Roll to School Week celebrations.
- 10,500+ students and adults at events and activities
- 2,500+ miles traveled by participants walking, biking, carpooling or taking transit, to get to school during program events
Encouraging active transportation among youth is more than just a short-term goal — it's an investment in the health, mobility, and resilience of San Francisco's future generations. For more information about the Safe Routes to School program and the Biking and Rolling Plan, please visit our website.
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