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Walking, biking, and rolling to school is sustainable, healthy, and fun. It also has the potential to strengthen social connections between families, schools, and the broader community. Education programs and encouragement activities can help families choose active travel to school where possible and foster a healthy lifestyle and self-determination for all students, regardless of whether they can currently walk or bike to school.
SRTS programming for Durham Public Schools students is currently funded by a non-infrastructure grant (2023-2025) from the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
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Planning the Trip to School
There is often more than one way to get to and from school. Explore your options:
Walking and Biking
Benefits of walking and biking to school
Talk to your child about pedestrian safety
Walk Smart - quick tips for safe walking
recursos en español
Beneficios de caminar and andar en bicicleta a la escuela
Hable con su hijo sobre la seguridad de los peatones
Caminar segura - consejos para caminar con seguridad
Transit
GoDurham is fare-free and serves most DPS High Schools and Middle Schools. GoTriangle is also fare-free with a Youth GoPass. Check out our one-page transit guides in English and Español for each DPS school served, which includes how often the city bus comes, which neighborhoods it serves, and tips for arriving on time. Also check out our Microtransit guides in English and Español for information about that service offered by GoDurham.
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School Trips are Better Together
Walking School Buses and Bike Trains
Organizing these groups can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their students to school or as structured as a route with meeting points, a timetable, and a regularly rotated schedule of trained volunteers.
Resource: Tips for Starting a Walking Group
Resource: Safe Routes Partnership: How to Start a Walking School Bus
Resource: Bike Bus World
Carpool
Find a neighbor with a similar schedule and share the responsibilities of getting your students to school and back.
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Education: Bike Riding and Walking Safety Classes
DPS works with community partner, Bike Durham, to deliver a series of classes for elementary students to learn and practice safe biking and walking skills. This program helps build confidence, promotes critical thinking and responsibility, and encourages students and families to consider active transportation from a young age. More than 15 DPS Elementary Schools have received this programming at least once. Twelve schools are scheduled to participate in these safety classes during the 2024-25 school year.
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Encouragement: Bike, Walk, and Roll to School Day
Over 20 DPS schools have participated in this international event at least once, with many schools hosting events twice a year annually!
These events celebrate physical activity, promote sustainable travel, and strengthen social connections between families, schools, and the broader community. Some DPS schools participate by encouraging their students and families to walk, bike, and roll to school together at a set time, while other schools host an event within their campus.
Activate Your Event
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Planning and Infrastructure
The DPS Safe Routes to School team is working with the City of Durham, Durham County, and NCDOT on an ongoing basis to improve pedestrian infrastructure surrounding all DPS schools.
If you have questions or comments about infrastructure around your school, contact Michelle Pendergrass, DPS Safe Routes to School Planner at michelle_pendergrass@dpsnc.net
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Safe Routes Programming at your School!
Our program is growing, and we’re looking for ways to engage students across the district in topics surrounding active transportation (walking and biking). This could take the form of a 30-minute presentation in your class, a semester-long research project, partnership with an after-school club, or anything we might be able to dream up together.
If you have an idea for a program or want to chat, contact Donna Lopp, Safe Routes to School Educator, at donna_lopp@dpsnc.net.