Safe Routes to School Information

Bacich Announcement: For families with students who bike/walk through the Kent campus on the way home from school, please take note of this important update. For years the back gate to Kent (at the stadium way bridge) has been opened at 3 p.m. to allow for passage of Bacich students on the way home from school. In order to keep the Kent campus secure until the end of the school day, this gate will no longer be opened at 3 p.m. starting on Monday, January 6. If your child relies on this passage home to school, please advise your child to take a right at Kent and continue down the bike path adjacent to Kent School before crossing College Ave. at the crosswalk (see Safe Routes to School map). The bike path leads to a crosswalk without a signal, though we encourage children to carefully travel south on College Ave. to cross at the crosswalk with the signal and crossing guard. We are working to adjust the crossing guard schedule to start at the bike path and then move to the Kent crossing at the dismissal from school. Thank you for your attention to this important travel safety announcement

The Kentfield School District encourages all families to actively participate in our nationally-recognized KSD Safe Routes to School program, a neighborhood-focused initiative to advocate green travel alternatives and address traffic safety at our schools. The goal of the program is to offer students safer and greener alternatives to get to and from school.

Our dedicated team of parent Neighborhood Captains will provide you with suggested safe route maps to our schools with important safety tips all customized by neighborhood. They will also advocate for traffic safety concerns on behalf of the families in your neighborhood.

Please consider walking or biking with your children to school. This will reduce traffic congestion around our schools; allow you to spend quality time with your children; and give them some healthful exercise before school so they arrive alert and ready to learn.

What parents should know about e-bike safety.

Lo que los Padres Deben Saber Sobre Las E-Bikes.

Please refer to this map to determine your school district neighborhood zone.

NEIGHBORHOOD CAPTAINS

Greenbrae:

Janine Spaulding - j9spaulding@gmail.com

Andrew Kingsdale - akingsdale@yahoo.com

Beth Karlsson - bkarlsson@me.com

Murray Park:

Erin Kahn - erinrkahn@gmail.com

Aaron Kahn - aaronpkahn@gmail.com

Kent Woodlands:

Tiffany Rowe - tiffanyrowe@mac.com

Kentfield Firehouse:

Jacqueline Distler - jacquelinedistler@gmail.com

Laurel Grove:

Jenn Mariska - jenn.mariska@gmail.com

Berens:

Meredith Brewer - meredithabrewer@gmail.com

Spanish-speaking and English Language Learner (ELL) Community Neighborhood Captain:

Aimé Minaya - aisamite79@gmail.com

Program Coordinator:

Jennifer Mariska - jenn.mariska@gmail.com

Erin Kahn - erinrkahn@gmail.com

Greenbrae

• Extra careful spots: Crossing La Cuesta, Corte Comoda, and Manor Road along SFD route.
• Take caution on one-way streets and ensure bikes move with the flow of traffic.
• At the five-way La Cuesta/Bretano/Los Cerros/Corte Morada intersection, students should always use the marked crosswalks versus walking diagonally across the intersection.
• Cyclists on South Eliseo should stay vigilant for parked car doors opening suddenly and cars passing.
• Use only the paved path to and from crosswalk at Sir Francis Drake.
• No parking in Kentfield School District Staff, Marin Enrichment, nor Ross Valley Nursery School Lots.
• Do not make U-turns or turn around in driveways near school campuses, particularly on McAllister Ave and Stadium Way.
• Acacia is closed to through traffic and parking during school drop off/pick up times.
• Park & Walk Spots: Park your car and safely walk with your children from these designated spots: Bon Air Road and Almenar Drive.

Murray Park

• Suggested Bacich and Kent Bike Route - Use Magnolia to Bon Air Road until joining Creekside Bike Path.
• No parking in Kentfield School District Staff, Marin Enrichment, nor Ross Valley Nursery School Lots.
• Do not make U-turns or turn around in driveways near school campuses, particularly on McAllister Ave and Stadium Way.
• Acacia is closed to through traffic and parking during school drop off/pick up hours.
• Park & Walk Spots: Park your car and safely walk with your children from these designated spots: Bon Air Road and Woodlands Market

Kent Woodlands and Kent Flats

• Suggested Bacich and Kent Bike Route - Use Magnolia to Bon Air Road until joining Creekside Bike Path.
• No parking in Kentfield School District Staff, Marin Enrichment, nor Ross Valley Nursery School Lots.
• Do not make U-turns or turn around in driveways near school campuses, particularly on McAllister Ave and Stadium Way.
• Acacia is closed to through traffic and parking during school drop off/pick up hours.
• Park & Walk Spots: Park your car and safely walk with your children from these designated spots: Bon Air Road and Woodlands Market.

SFD Fire House

• Extra careful spots: SFD Driveways and Ash blind curve.
• Beware of sunlight glare on SFD.
• No parking in Kentfield School District Staff, Marin Enrichment, nor Ross Valley Nursery School Lots.
• Do not make U-turns or turn around in driveways near school campuses, particularly on McAllister Ave and Stadium Way.
• Acacia is closed to through traffic and parking during school drop off/pick up hours.
• Park & Walk Spots: Park your car and safely walk with your children from these designated spots: Rosebank, off SFD and Berens, off McAllister.

Laurel Grove

• Extra careful spots: Inman curve; SFD turn lane corners.
• Avoid parking on Laurel Grove route (west side).
• Drive slowly – Laurel Grove speed limit is 25 mph.
• Cross Laurel Grove at SFD crosswalk, jaywalking discouraged.
• No parking in Kentfield School District Staff, Marin Enrichment, nor Ross Valley Nursery School Lots.
• Do not make U-turns or turn around in driveways near school campuses, particularly on McAllister Ave and Stadium Way.
• Acacia is closed to through traffic and parking during school drop off/pick up hours.
• Park & Walk Spots: Park your car and safely walk with your children from these designated spots: Fay, off Laurel Grove; Inman, off Laurel Grove.

Berens

• Acacia is closed to through traffic and parking during school drop off/pick up hours.
• When using the Chicken Path gravel path, stop at intersections and watch for oncoming traffic.
• When crossing Rosebank Ave, stop at intersections and watch for oncoming traffic.
• No parking in Kentfield School District Staff, Marin Enrichment, nor Ross Valley Nursery School Lots.
• Do not make U-turns or turn around in driveways near school campuses, particularly on McAllister Ave and Stadium Way.
• Park & Walk Spots: Park your car and safely walk with your children from these designated spots: Lancaster at McAllister and Berens at McAllister.

Crosswalk at Wolfe Grade & Sir Francis Drake

As you plan ahead for your child’s walking and biking safety to/from school, please be aware of these safety tips for crosswalk at the Wolfe Grade and Sir Francis Drake intersection, located in front of Bacich and Sloat Nursery.

Even though the crosswalk crosses Sir Francis Drake heading towards Bacich, for student safety, we have made the following recommendations about its use:

• Kent bicyclists should proceed down to the Laurel Grove crosswalk to cross with the crossing guard as they do now, and then proceed down McAllister to school (instead of using the new crosswalk and riding through Bacich campus).
• Kent and Bacich walkers should continue to use the overpass or the Laurel Grove crosswalk.

If you choose to drive your children to school, please keep the following 5 Traffic Safety Tips in mind:

1. Expect the unexpected. Children can dart out unexpectedly. Follow the speed limit, yield to crossing guards, and be vigilant.
2. Drive slowly and carefully. Do not block sidewalks or driveways, and stop at all crosswalks. Be sure to look right before you turn right to ensure that a child is not crossing the street.
3. Don't text or talk on your phone while driving.
4. Budget extra travel time. School areas are congested, so allow for more time to get where you are going. The extra time will help avoid bouts of road rage and accidents.
5. Be a good role model. Help your children learn and practice the safety rules for walking, biking, or driving. Always buckle up in the car, wear a helmet when biking, and follow pedestrian safety rules.

We aspire to be a safe and healthy community and hope you will consider a "green travel" alternative (walking, biking, or carpooling) for transporting your child to school. By doing so, you will contribute to the health and safety of the entire school community as well as your own child(ren).

If you have any questions about the KSD Safe Routes to School Program, contact one of our Neighborhood Captains.