Spring 2026 Newsletter

As Salem-Keizer students head outside this summer, here is a look at what we have been up to this spring to prepare them for a safe, successful, and well-earned summer break.

Launching a Walk+Roll School Bus

In partnership with the Mountain West Center for Community Excellence, we assisted in planning a weekly Walk+Roll School Bus (WRSB) with a local Salem-Keizer public school. Our team helped develop WRSB volunteer positions, led training sessions, and established a safe route for the students to follow.

The first official WRSB hit the pavement just two weeks after Spring Break. Since then, five buses have successfully rolled to school together! We have watched the group grow with every single event, and we are hopeful that making the morning commute this much fun will encourage better daily attendance.

The Debut of "Heron" at Lamb Elementary

We are thrilled to announce that the first of our two new bike fleet trailers made its official debut at Lamb Elementary. This milestone represents the culmination of a long-held ambition for Salem-Keizer Safe Routes to School (SK-SRTS): owning our very own fleet of bicycles. We can now deploy a dedicated 8’ x 25’ cargo trailer—affectionately named Heron—and a fleet of 35 Trek bikes to support Bicycle Safety Education programs across the region.

The launch served as an immediate field test for our equipment and team.

The transportation of the trailer was a success, but we quickly discovered that the internal storage system had dislodged during transit, leaving several bikes in a heap. Proving our dedication, we spent a Wednesday morning "late start" repairing the interior and ensuring every bike was in peak condition for the students. In addition, further complicating the launch, an illness at the decal shop delayed the trailer’s branding. However, in a three-day whirlwind over parent-teacher conferences, the blank trailer was completely transformed. It returned just in time for Monday classes, proudly adorned with our program and partner logos.

Despite these minor hurdles, the program at Lamb Elementary was a resounding success. The week concluded with a school-wide assembly where students were celebrated by representatives from the Rotary Club of Salem, Cherriots, and the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments.

With our own equipment, we can now expand our reach to more schools and offer enhanced programming during summer and after-school hours. We extend our deepest gratitude to the partners who helped turn this vision into a reality.

Earth Day and Hands-On Training at Weddle Elementary

We also teamed up with the enthusiastic staff at Weddle Elementary for an Earth Day Walk+Roll event. Despite having only two weeks’ notice, Weddle had more than 30 students walk or ride to school. Our team was on the ground supporting the staff leading the groups, and thanks to our partnership with the Willamette Education Service District (WESD), we were able to provide professional photography to capture the energy of the morning. It was such a hit that Weddle is already planning two more events before the school year ends.

To wrap up the month, we finished a two-week Bicycle Safety Education (BSE) session at Weddle on the final day of April. Of the 123 students who participated, nearly half learned how to ride a bike for the very first time! With more WRSBs on the horizon, we are confident these students will put their new skills to good use.

Multimodal Transit Efforts: The Mobile Classroom

In March and April, fifth grade classes at Clear Lake Elementary and Morningside Elementary participated in a unique mobile classroom experience. Taught by the team at Cherriots, this program is a critical component of our Public Transit Safety Education.

To bring the lessons to life, Cherriots brought a public transit bus right to the schools. Instructors taught the fifth graders the essentials of using public transit, including expected passenger etiquette, how to recognize and signal for a bus stop, how to pay fares, and how to safely respond to disruptive situations. Across both schools, four classes participated, bringing hands-on safety training to about 100 students in total. At the end of each session, the students took a short celebratory ride, putting their new skills into practice on the local roads.

50th Annual Monster Cookie Bike Ride

Moving into the community engagement, we joined the Salem Bicycle Club for their 50th Annual Monster Cookie Bike Ride. This year, SK-SRTS raised funds so that all 20 participants in the 6.2-mile “Mini-Cookie” route could ride completely for free.

Afterward, we hosted our first-ever Monster Cookie Bike Rodeo! We brought out Heron and our new bike fleet to teach young riders the basics of bicycle safety. We couldn't have done it without an incredible volunteer turnout from McNary High School students, alongside local supporters and partners including Cherriots, Keizer Multimodal Safety Committee, North West Keizer Neighborhood Association, and Gordon’s Driving School. It was a successful pilot year, and we are already looking forward to next year.

Celebrating National Bike Month

As many of you know, May is National Bike Month—a time when people all over the country are encouraged to leave the car at home and try riding a bike for their daily commute.

To support this vision locally, we partnered with the City of Salem, Salem Bike Vision, the Salem Bicycle Club, and Cherriots to create a community "Bike Bingo" challenge. This self-led tour encouraged community members to explore the city on two wheels. Participants marked off squares as they visited different local spots throughout May. Riders who completed their cards were eligible for excellent raffle prizes, which were sponsored by local businesses and purchased by Cherriots.

May 6th marked National Bike to School Day, and we were lucky enough to have Lamb Elementary host an incredible morning ride. To surprise the students, we collaborated with our local baseball team, the Salem Marion Berries, to bring out their mascot, Barry the Bear. Lamb Elementary students rolled to school with Barry leading the way. Once at school, Barry posed for pictures and handed out team stickers to celebrate the morning.

To wrap up the school year, we helped lead group rides at Harritt Elementary School’s Bike Palooza. Hundreds of students showed up to ride together, eat pizza, and learn about upcoming community summer offerings. We partnered with Cherriots again to provide free helmets to students in need, distributing nearly 50 helmets during the event.

Looking Forward to Summer and Beyond

While the school year is winding down, our team is gearing up for a busy summer of resetting, planning, and networking. Over the coming months, we will be:

• Connecting at Community Events: Attending local tabling events to talk with families and network with other Safe Routes to School practitioners.

• Launching New Curriculum: Teaching Pedestrian Safety Education at Keizer Blast Camp, where we will pilot our brand-new curriculum and "Safety Town" layout to teach hundreds of students how to be responsible pedestrians.

• Planning for the Fall: Working directly with elementary school principals to build out our official 2026–2027 event calendar.

We will be hard at work behind the scenes to make the Salem-Keizer Safe Routes to School program even better, safer, and more impactful in the upcoming school year. Have a wonderful, safe summer!