Menlo Park Safe Routes to School Program: 2024-2025 School Year Recap

Published on June 10, 2025

The 2024-2025 school year was another successful chapter for the Menlo Park Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program! Through engaging activities and events, ongoing data collection and strong community partnerships, the SRTS Program continued to advance its mission of promoting safe, healthy and sustainable trips for Menlo Park students.

Activities and Events

In collaboration with organizations like Bay Area BikeMobile and local police departments, the SRTS Program organized and supported a variety of fun events throughout the year. To kick the school year off, a volunteer training session held in August provided attendees the opportunity to connect with fellow SRTS supporters, learn about volunteer opportunities in the upcoming school year and gain insight into the unique needs of participating schools.

In March, the SRTS program partnered with Bay Area BikeMobile to provide a free bike repair clinic at the Community Resource Fair at the Belle Haven Community Campus. Here, attendees received no-cost bike tune-ups and hands-on instruction in basic bike maintenance. In May, the SRTS Program organized a Bike Rodeo Safety Event in partnership with the Menlo Park Police Department and CHP Redwood City, which included safety education, helmet giveaways and free bike tune-ups.

Menlo Park schools also played an important role in the year’s success by leading their own initiatives! Ahead of the school year, parents from multiple schools led a practice ride to Hillview Middle School to help new students become familiar with their bike routes and learn road safety tips. Laurel School hosted a bike donation drive in January, collecting over 20 bikes and scooters for local families. Encinal Elementary organized its first Earth Day Bike Bus on April 22, drawing more than 70 participants who biked from Menlo Park City Hall to Encinal Elementary School.

Student Travel Data

For the 2024-2025 school year, student travel data representing more than 6,400 trips was collected across eight schools. The data shows that more than half of Menlo Park students get to school using a mode other than a family car. Rolling (16%) and school buses (15%) were popular among elementary students and 9% of middle schoolers and 29% of high schoolers said they used public transit.

Growth of the SRTS Program

In fall 2024, the SRTS Task Force, SRTS Coordinator, and City of Menlo Park staff identified a slate of new citywide goals and actions focused on the continued growth of the Menlo Park SRTS Program. These included goals such as increasing the use of sustainable transportation, expanding education and engagement opportunities, addressing equity and improving safety along school routes.

The SRTS Task Force also held two subcommittee meetings in April to discuss program equity and the promotion of shared transportation to help further these identified goals. Proposed ideas included developing how-to guides for volunteers, hosting safety equipment (helmet, bike lights) giveaway events, incentivizing carpooling and establishing consistent communications between school districts and the City.

As we look towards the 2025-2026 school year, the SRTS Program seeks to grow volunteer involvement, ensure equitable support across all schools and improve outreach on shared transportation options. With continued collaboration among families, schools and city partners, the SRTS Program remains focused on creating safer and more active school travel throughout Menlo Park.

If you or someone you know would like to get involved with the Menlo Park SRTS Program for the next school year, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@menlopark.gov.