The Cupertino Courier

Parents agree: School traffic still a mess

By Pam Marino

"Unbelievable" has been the response of parents to a survey about gridlock at three Cupertino schools, according to a director of an organization dedicated to reducing traffic.

Steven Kirsch of ALTRANS, Alternative Transportation Solutions, said 95 percent of the surveys sent home to the parents at Lincoln Elementary, Kennedy Junior High and Monta Vista High during the first week of school have been returned to his organization.

The purpose of the surveys is to find families that are willing to carpool or children willing to walk or bike with other students to school each day. ALTRANS will sort through the surveys and match up families and children, and even map out routes showing the safest ways to get to and from school. The service is free.

"We're starting at a young age to show that walking is OK, carpooling is OK, so they don't develop the mentality of jumping into cars every time they want to go someplace," Kirsch said.

ALTRANS is offering the students at the schools pizza parties at the end of the school year if the number of car trips to and from the schools is reduced by at least 10 percent.

Children who participate in the program will be eligible for other giveaways, such as discounts to Paramount's Great America and bike helmets for those who bicycle to school.

ALTRANS is presenting assemblies at the schools this month to teach students about why finding alternative ways of getting to school is important.

"We want to raise children's awareness of traveling with others rather than traveling alone with parents," Kirsch said.

The schools are part of a 14-school pilot program in Cupertino and Saratoga. The goal is to reduce traffic around the schools by 10 percent this year, and an additional 10 percent next year.

"It's never been done to our knowledge in the country," Kirsch said of the program. Next year ALTRANS is planning to expand to 65 schools, including those throughout the rest of Cupertino and schools in the city of Santa Clara.

ALTRANS got started several years ago at San Jose State University as an answer to traffic problems there. Its funding comes from the Transportation Funds for Clean Air program, which is financed through state car registrations. This year's pilot program for the 14 schools has been funded at $162,000.

In addition to the surveys and assemblies, ALTRANS is sponsoring bike tour days throughout the year to teach bicycle safety. Children learn safety rules and are actually taken for a tour around a school's neighborhood to familiarize them with dangerous intersections and the safest routes.

"I would feel irresponsible to encourage a fifth-grader to bike to school without teaching him or her about general bicycling safety, including helmet use and all applicable laws," Kirsch said.

Kirsch said he encourages anyone with questions about the program to contact him at 741-2683.

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