Back to School comes early to Santa Monica this year as Pali High students will return to their Downtown Santa Monica home away from home later this week. Pali’s campus could re-open after winter break, but for now the students will continue their education in the Sears building.
As students, including SMMUSD next week, visiting Angelenos and private school students, return to their campus this month, so will the city’s Safe Routes to School’s program. The award-winning program is more than just BikeIt!WalkIt! Weeks have earned praise as the “biggest, baddest walk/bike to school weeks in the country.” The program also included everything from educational events on campus to road improvements. Safe Routes was shuttered at SMDOT (although construction of safety projects continued) as a result of pandemic budget cuts. After voters passed Measure K last November, the city had the funds to resume it this year.
“But prior to covid…we were doing a lot of work with the schools,” explains Jason Kligier, the Chief Planning Officer at Santa Monica DOT.
“We would do spring break and winter break courses where we would partner with Santa Monica Spoke. We would teach children how to ride bicycles, and also about the rules of the road. We would create little obstacle courses so they could maneuver around cones. We would take them down to the Santa Monica Bike Learning Campus, where Ocean Park Boulevard hits the sand and ride with the youngest ones to show them what a bike box is…a bike lane and a stop sign and how to do all of that in the comfort of a car free area.”
A return to those types of programs will wait until later in the year, SMDOT and SMMUSD are rekindling that relationship after a lot of staff turnover.
In the meantime, Kligier encourages families to think about their transportation plan and, if possible, find ways to and from school that don’t involve a car.
“There’s a lot of research out there that says getting a little bit of physical activity that kids don’t get when they’re dropped off by car helps them be better students, learn better and improves their overall well being,” he continues.
Kligier remembers the “Biking Vikings,” an unofficial bike bus program where Samohi students and families would bike en masse to campus in the morning. Walk and bike “buses” are often informal, but create not just good commuting habits but also communities inside of the schools. Carpooling is also encouraged as a way to reduce emissions and create community, but it’s not a full replacement for the benefits of walking, and bicycling.
Returning students and their families will notice physical changes around many campuses and the Big Blue Bus’ increased service that began yesterday will benefit those students that use transit.
Students can ride free on the Big Blue Bus with a GoPass, a card given out by LA Metro through participating school districts. Students can ride on any participating transit program on any day, not just riding to and from school. SMMUSD schools will reach out to families to arrange for GoPass distribution. Get more information on the program here.
As for the physical improvements, the city listed off its school safety improvements in a press release. Construction began a year ago and concluded in May, adding 19 curb extensions, 37 ADA-compliant curb ramps, one flashing beacon, three new trees, and refreshed striping for 50 crosswalks near six elementary school campuses.
The Santa Monica Police Department has also shared a list of “back to school safety tips,” for returning students, but of course a lot of the safety of students will be determined by drivers: student drivers, parent drivers, and those that live near schools.
“The first week is a little bit hectic as people are establishing their new routines and figuring out what they’re doing: the pickup and drop off,” Kligier continues. “This is a good time to remind everyone that we’re all in this together and that our students are super important. Just give everyone else a little bit of grace and plan for a little bit of extra time for that commute.”
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