Advocacy for Students and Families

Advocacy for Students

In a typical school year, an average of five elementary age students in Illinois are hit by a driver within one block of school - per day. As part of a movement to decrease vehicular violence around Oak Park schools, Bike Walk Oak Park released our D-97 School Safety Report in fall 2022. In it, we identify system-wide problems and conduct school-by-school analyses using crash data and our own observations. BWOP is using this report to advocate for concrete changes as well as shifts in institutional perspectives - all with the goal of increasing the comfort and safety of students and families who walk and cycle.

In 2018 Illinois passed the Bike Walk Education in Schools Act (HB4799) requiring annual biking and walking safety education for grades K-8. We worked with Oak Park Elementary School District D-97 to implement a consistent education curriculum across all district schools, which will include a one-week session in covering pedestrian safety (K-2) and bike safety (3-8). At the K-5 level, instruction will take place in Physical Education, and in middle school it will occur in Health. A trailer of 25 bikes and safety equipment was ordered to support this learning.

We are also helping kids roll and walk safely to school through advocacy with D-97 PTOs to ensure an alignment of individual school policies around student safe routes to schools and bike commuting, which incorporates the Greenways implementation around our public schools.

Advocacy for Families

With more and more families discovering the joys of cycling and walking together in Oak Park, having safe, supportive cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to foster these activities is more important than ever.

We plan to grow in terms of family and themed rides, education events, and multi-generational opportunities for direct advocacy. We need families such as yours to help us lead and staff these events!