Oregon Active Transportation Summit

Student Transportation Survey and District Policy Insights from Eugene Safe Routes to School:
Participants will discover the results and applied uses of a student travel survey, segmented into various groups, carried out by Eugene School District 4J Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. The district-wide survey gathered input on barriers to and benefits of active and shared transportation for students living varied distances from school, using different modes of travel, and at various grade levels. Analysis revealed that the particular groups indeed perceive discreet advantages and obstacles to active and shared travel. The conclusions allow the SRTS program to target specific groups of students and families with messaging and support to increase the use of active and shared transportation. Many of these findings and/or a replication of the survey could be applied statewide.In addition, participants will learn about the unique policies that Eugene 4J has implemented to support student transportation options. The district developed an innovative “equity clause” in their Supplemental Busing Plan that expands the reach of school buses to those who need it most. And, as allowed by House Bill 3014, the “Bike Bus Bill,” the district has included funding for crossing guards in their Supplemental Busing Plan.The session will cycle between presentations and partner or small group discussions with share-outs. This will allow participants to digest the information being presented and to consider how they could use and apply the material after the conference. Participants will have the opportunity to access both the survey results and a blank version of the survey for adaptation and replication.

Regional Safe Routes to School Walkshed 2.0:
In 2022, Metro developed the first Regional SRTS Walkshed Tool that provides both geospatial and demographic data for every public school in the Metro boundary, allowing for SRTS practitioners to learn more about the specific vulnerabilities present at each school. The tool focuses on two key approaches: 1) The development of a routable pedestrian network to measure a true one-mile 'walkshed' around each school that incorporates streets and trails, and 2) Metro selected eight variables – referred to as vulnerability indicators - related to transportation safety and student demographics to assess an individual school’s needs and barriers for student transportation, relative to other schools in the region. The tool was updated in 2025 to reflect new school and street data, and the online tools is now fully accessible - one of the first geospatial web tools at Metro to integrate web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. In addition, Metro developed individualized School Walkshed reports for every school, that can be printed and used during walk audits or in discussions about SRTS needs at the school level.This presentation will walk through the new tool and it's functionalities, discuss use-cases for the tool at the local level, and share more about the vulnerability indicators that were selected as well as the development of the school walksheds themselves.