The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program began in Odense, Denmark, during the 1970s with a focus on creating safe pathways for children to walk and bike to school. The concept gained traction in the U.S. with a notable initiative in the Bronx, New York, in 1997. By 2005, it was recognized as a European Union target and was further supported by the U.S. Congress through the Federal-Aid Safe Routes to School Program. This global movement highlights the ongoing effort to enhance child safety and mobility while fostering healthier, more connected communities.
My team and I hosted Dr. Bike, a free bike repair event for high school students. The event was funded through a $10,000 grant by Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Cupertino High School Safe Routes to School students Raashi Sachdeva and Henry Widjaja, mentored by Safe Routes parent Seema Lindskog and Vice-Principal Steve Puccinelli, successfully applied for and obtained the grant.
As an Organizer’s Assistant for the City of Cupertino’s Bike Fest for the past 2 years, I help the event lead, Birgit Werner, in logistical tasks that help keep the event running smoothly. Recently, the City of Cupertino hosted the 10th Anniversary of City of Cupertino Bike Fest in 2023. It was bigger and better than ever! More than 650 people came to the festival – the most ever for Bike Fest.
It has been an absolute pleasure leading the Bike Bus event for my high school’s freshmen for the past 2 years. Bike Bus provides a fun, convenient, and safe way for everyone to ride together to school. On busy, traffic-congested streets, a group of five to ten kids biking together is much more visible than just one or two riding alone. Thus, we are encouraging safe biking practices through this event.
Speaker at Silicon Valley’s largest event for active transportation leaders, including government, private sector, non-profits, and the public. It is the most information-rich gathering of the year for bicycle professionals, elected and appointed officials, and citizen advocates in Silicon Valley, providing essential insights and networking opportunities.
Speaker at Silicon Valley’s largest event for active transportation leaders, including government, private sector, non-profits, and the public. It is the most information-rich gathering of the year for bicycle professionals, elected and appointed officials, and citizen advocates in Silicon Valley, providing essential insights and networking opportunities.
Speaker at Silicon Valley’s largest event for active transportation leaders, including government, private sector, non-profits, and the public. It is the most information-rich gathering of the year for bicycle professionals, elected and appointed officials, and citizen advocates in Silicon Valley, providing essential insights and networking opportunities.
The Stanford Bicycle Project (SBP) offers free bike maintenance and education to the Stanford community. It also repairs abandoned bikes collected by campus police and donates them to underprivileged Stanford students, ensuring they have access to reliable transportation.
At Stanford Bike Repair Day, I helped refurbish abandoned bikes on campus, preparing them for donation to low-income students. These bikes would provide essential transportation, helping students navigate the campus more easily and access opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.
Don’t Drive for Donuts is a bi-monthly event that incentivizes alternative methods of transportation by giving students who walked/biked a donut. This year, we handed out 300 donuts and also bike patch kits, keychains, and flashlights during our fun trivia activity! Here, I stand with a parent volunteer, the assistant principal Mr. Puccinelli, and my partner SR2S representative.