The streets of San Francisco buzzed with a different kind of traffic this past week as the city ushered in the annual Bike & Roll to School Week. From Monday to Friday, students across the city traded four wheels for two, or sometimes just their own two feet, participating in a move that signals a significant shift towards sustainable and active travel. According to SFMTA, biking to school has now doubled compared to pre-pandemic figures, suggesting a growing popularity amongst the city’s youth.
What could be a sign of the times is that transit use for school trips has surged to 27%, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic levels. The SFMTA and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) have celebrated this trend, emphasizing the health and community benefits of students choosing greener modes of travel over being chauffeured in cars. “Biking and rolling is a clean and fun way for students to get around,” Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation, enthused in a statement per SFMTA. Similarly, SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Maria Su highlighted, “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."
Interestingly, while biking has seen a clear uptick, the survey covering 10,000 students from 95 SFUSD schools indicated that the proportion of kindergarteners walking to school stands at a steady 24% of total trips. Meanwhile, nearly half of high-schoolers opt for public transit, a nod to the city’s successful efforts in promoting Muni service as a convenient option for young San Franciscans. However, car trips remain the dominant mode of transportation at 49%, yet they are on the decline, inching closer to what they were before COVID-19 shook the world.
The city has not rested on its infrastructure laurels to bolster these positive trends. SFMTA has heralded success with 100% of eligible schools having 15 mph zones, over 100 traffic calming improvements, and a program that places over 160 crossing guards at 107 schools. The School Daylighting Program, launched in March, aims to illuminate students' safe routes by improving visibility at crucial intersections.
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