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Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?
Top 15 Bike Safety Tips
Treatments that Improve your Route
Planning your Commute

Your Safety = Your Success!

Let’s Talk About...

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2019 PAUSD High School Travel Modes

Bike: 54.5%

Drive Solo 24.2%

Transit 6.1%

Carpool 6.1%

Walk, Bike, Scooter, Skate 9.1%

Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?

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“It’s FASTER than driving.”
Rock star parking
“Flexibility to come and go”
“Not tied to my parents’ car”
“FUN to ride with friends”
“Healthy for the planet and me.”

Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?

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All emission estimates from the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2018.

Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?

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Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?

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Because Your Choices Matter!

Source: NACTO Transit Design Guide: https://nacto.org/publication/transit-street-design-guide/introduction/why/designing-move-people/

Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?

BUS/TRAIN

CARS

BIKES

SIDEWALKS

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Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?
Top 15 Bike Safety Tips
Treatments that Improve your Route
Planning your Commute

Your Safety = Your Success!

Let’s Talk About...

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Safety Tip 1: Eye Contact

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Safety Tip 2: Stopping

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Safety Tip 3: Helmets Help

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Safety Tip 4: Portable Devices

One Earbud

Most middle and high school students carry phones or other devices. In California it is legal to ride with one earbud/Airpod in, but not both. This way, you can still hear and be alert to what is happening around you. On a bike, you use your hands for steering, shifting, signaling, stopping, and more. If you are trying to hold your phone to call or text while biking and hit a road hazard (like a pothole) you could crash. Don’t hold your phone or let yourself be distracted by your phone when you are riding. If you must ride with a phone, there are different products or ways to safely mount your phone to your handlebars, as long as your parents give you permission to do so. Dealing with our own desire to reach for our devices is something we all have to figure out to stay safe. You will see many distracted car drivers, bike riders, and people walking (pedestrians). If you try to make eye contact and notice that they are not paying attention, be prepared to choose your best, safest option, like not entering an intersection or starting to cross a street.

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Safety Tip 5: Go with the flow...of traffic

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Safety Tip 6: Avoid the Door Zone

Door Zone 4-8’

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Safety Tip 7: Left turns 3 Ways

Rush Hour/Heavy Traffic

El Camino, Alma, Charleston, Bayshore Freeway, Middlefield, Embarcadero

Medium Traffic

Waverley, Loma Verde

University Ave. (Downtown)

Stanford Ave, Greer, Fabian Way, Churchill

Lighter Traffic

Bryant Street, Maybelle Ave., Ross Road, Light Residential Traffic Streets

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Safety Tip 8: Riding Together

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Safety Tip 9: Sidewalks and Multi-use Paths

Sidewalks

Avoid, unless you are on a high traffic street or are exiting onto that specific block. Ride at the speed of pedestrians or dismount.

Bridges/Tunnels, Multi-Use Paths

Embarcadero Path
Charleston Road
Stanford Perimeter Trail
Cal. Ave. Tunnel
Wilke Bridge
Oregon Ave. Bridge
Waverley Path
All Park Paths: Bol Park, Mitchell etc.

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Safety Tip 10: Locking

Bikeindex.org: Register your bike to prevent theft.

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Safety Tip 11: Riding in Rain

Fenders for riding in the rain

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Safety Tip 12: Know Your Parking

Some teachers let you ride up to their classroom if you’re late but bikes unlocked left near classrooms can be stolen

The bike cages don’t get locked. Theft can happen.

Come early because the racks usually get pretty crowded, with bikes on both sides of the hoops

You can always take your bike during prep or lunch.

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Safety Tip 13: Railroad Crossings

Wheels perpendicular to tracks

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Safety Tip 14: Bike Lights

Required:

White light in front
Reflector in back
Rear light is better

Optional:

Decorative lights for 360 degree visibility

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Safety Tip 15: Sun Glare Safety

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Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?
Top Fifteen Safety Tips
Treatments that Improve your Route
Planning your Commute

Your Safety = Your Success!

Let’s Talk About...

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Bike Facilities: Signals

Push Button Signal

Bike Loop Detector

Bike Crossing Button

Bike Signal Head

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Bike Facilities: Bike Boulevards

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Bike Facilities: Riding on the GREEN

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Bike Facilities: �Traffic Circles and Roundabouts

Cycle in the center of the travel lane

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Bike Facilities: Crossbikes

.�

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Bike Facilities: Green Bike Box

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Bike Facilities: Flashing Beacons

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Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?
Top Fifteen Safety Tips
Treatments that Improve your Route
Planning your Commute

Your Safety = Your Success!

Let’s Talk About

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Planning Your Gunn Commute

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Planning Your Gunn Commute

VTA Bus 88

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Planning Your Paly Commute

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Town & Country stop

Planning Your Paly Commute

VTA Bus 22

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Planning Your Commute

Share the Ride

New student drivers can carpool with siblings if they have a note from their parents.
Find rules for pick-up, drop-off and permits on your school website.

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Service for Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto Hills, and Stanford for a fee
www.pausd.org/student-services/transportation
Or call 329-3982. First come, first served.

Planning Your Commute

Share the Ride

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Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?

Taking Action In High School

311 Info: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/services/paloalto311/

Safe Routes Contact info: saferoutes@cityofpaloalto.org

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Walk, Bike or Bus: Why?
Top Fifteen Safety Tips
Treatments that Improve your Route
Planning your Commute

Your Safety = Your Success!

Thank You