On February 19, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) Safe Routes to School hosted a walk audit at Aspire Charter School in East Palo Alto, led by Alta Planning + Design. Participants included Safe Routes to School staff, the school principal, county public health staff, representative from the East Palo Alto library, city engineers, sustainability staff, and East Palo Alto Vice Mayor Dinan. Together, they observed traffic and pedestrian activity around the school during dismissal to identify what was working well and what could be improved to make walking and biking safer for students.

Alta Planning + Design will compile a report with participant observations and expert recommendations for programmatic and infrastructure improvements. These suggestions can help the city apply for funding to support not only the school but also the surrounding community.

Stay tuned to this newsletter to get information on how to participate in a future walk audit, or sign up for the SMCOE Safe Routes to School newsletter here.