An outreach campaign at the beginning of the school year can promote walking, bicycling, carpooling, and taking the bus to school. Families set transportation habits during the first few weeks of the school year, and back-to-school-orientation aims to help form good habits from the start.

Orientation events are particularly valuable for the parents of kindergartners, who are attending school for the first time and forming new travel habits.

Ideas for a Back-to-School packet:

• Suggested Route Maps to inform parents about good routes to walk or bicycle to school

• Carpooling resources, including information about 511.org's RideMatching Service 

• Information about School Site Transportation Policies, including designated drop-off and pick-up areas, recommended traffic circulation, and bike parking locations

• Transit and bus information with transit and school bus stops and schedules

• Pledge Forms to encourage families to reduce the number of times they drive to school; entries can go into a raffle drawing 

• Information about the Safe Routes to School Program offered at the school

How to distribute this information to parents:

• Articles in the school newsletter

• A packet given to each family 

• A cover letter from the school principal encouraging parents to create transportation habits with students that promote physical activity, reduce congestion, increase school safety, and improve air quality

• A table at the back-to-school night with materials and trained volunteers who can answer questions about transportation issues

• Opportunities for parents to connect for carpooling or walking school buses and bike trains by posting a map showing all student households; parents can find other families in their neighborhood who are interested in walking, biking and carpooling to school together

• Information posted on a website