CC Resolution No. 15-017 Supporting Safe Routes to School and Aligned Partnerships with Local Schools RESOLUTION NO. 15-017
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CUPERTINO
SUPPORTING SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AND ALIGNED PARTNERSHIPS
WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS
WHEREAS, the City of Cupertino supports policies and programs that bolster the
health and wellness of its residents and fostering healthier community environments;and
WHEREAS, the health and safety of children is of highest concern to the citizens
of Cupertino and Santa Clara County; and
WHEREAS,44% of middle and high school students in Santa Clara County do not
engage in daily physical activity;and
WHEREAS, only about 25%0 of Santa Clara County fifth graders and 33% of
seventh graders in Santa Clara County meet all California fitness standards; and
WHEREAS, a lack of physical activity plays a leading role in the rising rates of
obesity, diabetes, and other health problems among children and teens (and adults); and
WHEREAS, the childhood obesity epidemic is a national health crisis with one in
every three children overweight and obese; and
WHEREAS, over half of adults and a quarter of middle and high school students
in Santa Clara County are overweight or obese; and
WHEREAS, the economic costs associated with obesity, overweight, and physical
inactivity in California are estimated at$41.2 billion and in Santa Clara County at over$2
billion dollars;
WHEREAS, Santa Clara County metropolitan areas rank 4nationally in
percentage of pedestrian traffic deaths; and
WHEREAS,from 1969 to 2007,the percentage of children and teens nationally who
walked or bicycled to school decreased from 48% to 13%; and
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WHEREAS, driving students to school in private vehicles contributes to traffic
congestion, safety concerns, and air pollution; and
WHEREAS, being able to walk or bicycle to school along safe routes offers an
opportunity to build healthful physical activity into daily routines, so that children and
teens can arrive at school ready to learn; and
WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School is a national and international movement to
create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children and teens to bicycle and walk
to school; and .
WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School programs require, the formation of
multidisciplinary teams in each community to increase awareness of and support schools
and students; and
WHEREAS, having safer routes to and from schools can decrease pedestrian and
bicycling related injuries, not just for students,but for the entire community; and
WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School initiatives can strengthen a positive connection
between schools and neighborhoods by creating beneficial interactions between children,
teens and adults; and
WHEREAS, some cities and school districts in Santa Clara County have already
created Safe Routes To School initiatives that help to remove barriers to walking and
bicycling to.school through improvement of infrastructure and facilities and the creation
of education, encouragement, engineering, enforcement, and evaluation programs (the
"Five E's); now therefore,be it
RESOLVED, that City of Cupertino will partner with its local schools to encourage
all students to walk, bike, or carpool recognizing that walking and bicycling promotes
student's physical activity and reduces vehicle traffic and air pollution in the vicinity of
schools and that for students who do not live close enough to school, carpooling also
reduces traffic and creates a safer environment for those who walk or bicycle, and be it
further
RESOLVED, that City of Cupertino does hereby endorse the Safe Routes to School
National Partnership Consensus Statement as a means to encourage the continued
collaboration of its school districts and community partners in their efforts to reduce risk
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for students and encourage more families to use alternatives to driving to school more
often;be.it further
RESOLVED, that the City of Cupertino supports and will collaborate with its
school districts to convene,launch and host a community-based Task Force pilot working
with Lincoln and Sedgwick Elementary.Schools,Kennedy and Hyde.Middle Schools, and
Monta Vista and Cupertino High Schools to discuss and plan for measures to improve
the safety of students and encourage walking and biking to, school. To achieve this
objective,.the City will convene, organize, staff, and participate in the community-based
Task_Force and support school districts' efforts to identify a team member or liaison to
attend the Task Force meetings and coordinate each school's onsite efforts including,but
not limited to, identifying strategies to improve student safety along routes to school;
developing and implementing bicycle and pedestrian safety education structured for the
appropriate grade and age levels; collecting fall and spring student tally surveys to help
evaluate alternative commute program progress; sharing Safe Routes information on .
both District and school websites including Suggested Routes to School maps; and be it
further
RESOLVED, that, should this Task Force,pilot program be effective, the City of
Cupertino will support expansion to all schools within Cupertino, and be it further
RESOLVED, that City of Cupertino will partner with its school districts to
prioritize the safety and comfort of school children in citywide street modification
projects that affect school travel routes; and be it further
RESOLVED, that City of Cupertino will partner with school districts to apply for
Safe Routes to School funding, and be it further
RESOLVED, that City of Cupertino will partner with the school districts to do a
simple, low-cost assessment of travel mode share to all schools to be funded by the City;
and be it further
RESOLVED, that City of Cupertino will encourage all schools to participate in
International Walk to School and/or International Bike to School Day, hosted locally. as
"Walk One Week" (WOW), and support each school site's efforts to collect onsite data to
record school site participants, and be it,further
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RESOLVED,that City of Cupertino will team with its school districts to participate
in the Safe Routes to School initiative in order to gain the benefits mentioned above and
strengthen the quality of life of Cupertino's students, families, and neighborhoods.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Cupertino this 7th day of April, 2015,by the following vote:
Vote Members of the City Council
Ayes: Sinks, Chang, Paul, Vaidhyanathan, Wong
Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Grace Schmidt, City Clerk Rod Sinks, Mayor