Oregon Active Transportation Summit

On the bike bus side: Several organizers representing different schools will join this panel, including Lauren McCune from Abernethy Elementary School, Jodi Jacobson-Swartfager from Atkinson Elementary School, Rob Galanakis from Glencoe Elementary School, and Bryant Letterlough from James John Elementary School. The presentation will include a toolkit element: bike buses are volunteer run and much of the growth is due to grassroots information sharing so there will be a crowdsourced list of "tips and tricks" for starting a bike bus in one's community.

On the walking school bus side: Following a spring 2025 pilot, Oregon Walks is in its first full school year of a professionalized Walking School Bus program. Central to our success is the School Liaison model, which provides community champions with stipends, gear, and training. However, rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach, our framework is designed for local adaptation. We recognize that every neighborhood has unique cultural, geographic, and social dynamics; our role is to provide the "scaffold" of support—professional tools and funding—while empowering Liaisons to build a transportation program that best fits their specific community’s needs. Sharing stories across diverse communities, this session offers a look at our first-year implementation. We will discuss the logistics of managing a paid-leadership model and how we balance program standards with the flexibility needed for neighborhood customization, plus lessons on identifying, training, and empowering School Liaisons. Attendees will learn how providing "Active Transportation Champions" with agency and professional support allows for more resilient, community-led solutions, particularly in underserved areas.