Safe Routes to School
Program Overview
Crossing Guards
- Become a crossing guard
- Get a crossing guard for your neighborhood school
- Learn about Deferred Disposition for School Zone Citations
Engagement
- Get help planning activities to get students excited about walking and biking to school
- Request traffic observations for your neighborhood school
Education and Training
- Host a safety training at school or in your community
- Get lesson plans, classroom activities, and other resources for educators and school administrators
Safe Routes projects
- Learn about Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects near your neighborhood school
Crossing Guards
The City of Austin's Safe Routes to School Crossing Guard Program provides adult crossing guards to help young students walk and bike to and from school safely. Each crossing guard receives thorough training about their specific duties, local traffic regulations, and crossing techniques. Safe Routes employs over 200 crossing guards and crossing guard supervisors at 97 elementary schools throughout Austin ISD and in six neighboring school districts.
- Become a Crossing Guard
The City of Austin is always looking for friendly neighborhood crossing guards for schools across Austin! The hourly rate for crossing guards increased to $22.05/hr on Oct. 1, 2025.
Crossing Guards must be able to:
- Clearly communicate verbally and in writing with children, supervisor, school employees, other city employees and the general public.
- Understand verbal and written instructions.
- Walk or stand in adverse weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, thunderstorms, etc.
- Hear and see approaching traffic or pedestrians and perceive and appropriately respond to potential traffic hazards.
- Raise and carry a stop sign weighing up to five pounds upright continuously for up to two minutes at each crossing.
- Push or pull a child weighing up to 100 pounds when necessary.
- Bend from the waist and/or twist when necessary.
- Respond to potential emergency situations.
To learn more about crossing guard job requirements, hours, and available locations, please contact Leticia Richardson via e-mail or at 512-974-9181.
Please note that crossing guard applications can be downloaded but not submitted through the online Austin Jobs Portal.
- Get a Crossing Guard for Your School
All crossing guard requests must be supported by the school’s Campus Advisory Council (CAC). Once the CAC has approved, school staff and parents can request a crossing guard for their elementary school by phone or online via Austin 3-1-1. Requests must include the specific intersection where the proposed crossing guard will be located.
Safe Routes then reviews the intersection on an unannounced, fair-weather day to see how many students walk or bike through it. Usually, at least 20 children must cross the intersection during school zone hours to warrant a crossing guard, although Safe Routes also considers the following factors:
- Traffic volume
- Traffic speed
- Line of sight issues
- Location history
- Ratio of adults to children crossing the intersection
- Host a Volunteer Crossing Guard Training at Your School
Some schools, including some middle or high schools, may not qualify for a paid City of Austin Crossing Guard. However, Principals of these schools may request a Crossing Guard Training for one or more volunteers. Safe Routes will provide the training and equipment; schools requesting Crossing Guard Training are responsible for recruiting, scheduling and compensating volunteers.
Request a Training
Leticia Richardson, Crossing Guard Program Manager
Leticia.Richardson@austintexas.gov
512-974-9181- Deferred Disposition for School Zone Citations
Austin Municipal Court prosecutors may offer a Deferred Disposition to motorists who receive citations for speeding or for using a mobile device in a school zone.
If the deferral is offered, the defendant may participate in the Safe Routes to School Deferred Disposition Program. This program helps raise awareness of school zone speeding and distracted driving.
As part of the Safe Routes Deferred Disposition Program, the defendant would spend two shifts with a crossing guard. During the first shift, the defendant would count the number of people walking at the intersection, and during the second shift, the defendant would count drivers speeding or using a mobile device.
After successfully completing the program, the offense would not go on the defendant's driving record and would not be reported to their car insurance provider. This program enjoys a 99+ percent positive feedback rating and has had only one repeat offender.
Engagement
The Safe Routes to School Engagement Program works with school communities to get students and families excited about walking and biking to school. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, school administrator, or a member of a community group, we can help you plan activities, provide resources, and share digital tools.
To connect with the Safe Routes Engagement Team about any of the topics listed below, email the Safe Routes to School team and include as much of the following information as possible:
- What partnership opportunities are you interested in exploring?
- When would you like to get started?
- Roughly how many people / families will be participating?
Safe Routes staff will reach out if we need any additional info.
Safe Routes can help with the following:
- Engagement Activities
Safe Routes can help plan activities that motivate students to walk and bike to school, including:
Walking School Bus/Bike Train
In a walking school bus or a bike train, children walk or bike to school with one or more adults for at least two weeks. These activities can be as big or small as you want them to be, from two families traveling together to a large group with meeting points, routes, and trained volunteers.
Safe Routes can help you get started and plan a walking school bus or bike train. We can also help you plan a route, pick meeting points, train volunteers, and determine a timetable.
If your walking school bus or bike train helps students walk or bike to school over a two-week time period, volunteers can even be classified as paid crossing guards.
“Park a Block and Walk”
Safe Routes encourages families to park a block away from the school and walk to school together. This helps parents avoid drop off/pick up traffic, and helps families spend some extra time together in the morning and afternoon – all while getting fresh air and a few extra steps!
Safe Routes can help you plan a route, pick meeting points, train volunteers, and determine a timetable.
Classroom Walking Competitions
In a classroom walking competition, different classes or grades compete to see who can walk the largest most miles during a set time period. Safe Routes can help plan these competitions and provide Safe Routes-branded safety prizes.
- Traffic Observations
Traffic observations can help identify traffic issues that make getting to school more difficult. These issues could include needed sidewalk, a change to drop-off/pickup times, and more.
Safe Routes to School staff can provide traffic observations upon request during morning drop off or afternoon pick up. Safe Routes will take notes and make recommendations on actions to take.
Reach out to the Safe Routes to School Engagement Program at least three weeks before you’d like the traffic observation to take place. Then, our staff will reach out and schedule the traffic observation.
- Other Resources
Handouts and Giveaway Items
Safe Routes can provide a number of Safe Routes to School-branded materials and prizes for schools and community groups. Please email the Safe Routes to School team if you would like Safe Routes-branded items for your students.
These items include:
- Pamphlets
- Flashing reflector lights
- Reflective stickers
- Reflective wrist bands
- Sticker sheets
- Waterless tattoos
- Tote bags
Not all items may be available in the amounts requested.
Safe Routes Education and Training
The Safe Routes to School Education Team teaches pedestrian, bike, bus, and train safety to parents and students across Austin.
Training includes:
- Daycare Training: 30-minute interactive session conducted in the classroom by two safety trainers. Children will practice crossing the street on a cloth crosswalk and learn a safety poem and song.
- Pre-Kindergarten Training: 10-minute English and Spanish presentation in the classroom with a 15-minute walk to the nearest crosswalk.
- Kindergarten through 6th Grade Training: Taught through PE classes, each training is tailored to each grade level and lasts about 45 minutes.
- Adult Training: Free training on active transportation, bus and train safety. Available in English and Spanish during PTA meetings or parent coffees.
The Education Team will provide handouts and answer any questions parents, students or faculty have about making active transportation, buses and trains fun and safe for all to use.
- Bike Rodeos
Bike Rodeos help students learn the rules of the road and how to properly fit and wear their helmets. We don’t recommend that students under the age of 10 ride their bikes on the street; however, students of any age can learn the rules of the road so they can practice on the sidewalk.
- Time/Date: After school for no more than two hours from Monday through Friday, typically from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. or on Saturdays from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
- Location: School playground blacktop or a portion of the parking lot.
- Students need: A bike and a helmet.
- Giveaway items: Reflective stickers for bikes and helmets, bike safety facts, and more.
- Safety Patrol Training
Students will receive a 15-minute presentation on how to safely cross with parents and students at crosswalks, as well as the most common safety patrol posts in Austin. They also participate in a short game that covers the most important points from the presentation and learn the safety patrol pledge. Manuals, participation certificates, bookmarks and stickers are provided.
- BOW WOW (Bike on Wednesday - Walk on Wednesday)
BOW WOW is an initiative to motivate more children to bike or walk to school. The month-long program runs each Wednesday, when children who bike or walk can enter their names in a raffle. At the end of the month, two bicycles and ten pedometers are distributed to raffle winners.
- Digital Resources
- Schedule a Training
Rhonda Bolick, Safe Routes to School Education Coordinator
512-974-5633
Rhonda.Bolick@austintexas.gov
Safe Routes Projects
Project recommendations
- Walk audits of each school, where the team got a firsthand look at the challenges students face while traveling to and from school. These were conducted throughout the week of November 6, 2017.
- A public meeting on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.
- Comments provided in our interactive online map from November 2017 through mid-April 2019.
- An online survey about draft district infrastructure reports from July-August 2019.
- District 1 schools
- Andrews Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 6, 2017
- Barbara Jordan Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 7, 2017
- Blackshear Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 19, 2017
- Bluebonnet Trail Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 15, 2017
- Campbell Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 6, 2017
- Copperfield Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 8, 2017
- Garcia Middle School: Walk audit Nov. 7, 2017
- Graham Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 8, 2017
- Harris Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 6, 2017
- Kealing Middle School: Walk audit Nov. 8, 2017
- Norman Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 7, 2017
- Oak Meadows Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 9, 2017
- Overton Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 7, 2017
- Pecan Springs Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 7, 2017
- Pioneer Crossing Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 14, 2017
- Sadler Means Middle School: Walk audit Nov. 6, 2017
- Sims Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 8, 2017
- Winn Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 6, 2017
- District 2 schools
- Bedichek Middle School: Walk audit Feb. 21, 2018
- Blazier Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 20, 2018
- Del Valle Elementary and Middle Schools: Walk audit Feb. 20-21, 2018
- Hillcrest Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 21, 2018
- Houston Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 20, 2018
- John P. Ojeda Middle School: Walk audit June 3, 2019
- Langford Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 23, 2018
- Mendez Middle School: Walk audit Feb. 21, 2018
- Odom Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 20, 2018
- Palm Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 22, 2018
- Perez Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 23, 2018
- Pleasant Hill Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 22, 2018
- Rodriguez Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 22, 2018
- Smith Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 22, 2018
- Uphaus Early Childhood Center: Walk audit March 1, 2018
- Widen Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 23, 2018
- Williams Elementary School: Walk audit Feb. 23, 2018
- District 3 schools
- Allison Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 24, 2018
- Baty Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 23, 2018
- Brooke Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 22, 2018
- Dawson Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 25, 2018
- Galindo Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 24, 2018
- Govalle Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 25, 2018
- Linder Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 26, 2018
- Martin Middle School: Walk audit Oct. 23, 2018
- Metz Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 24, 2018
- Oak Springs Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 22, 2018
- Ortega Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 26, 2018
- Sanchez Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 25, 2018
- St. Elmo Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 23, 2018
- Zavala Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 26, 2018
- District 4 schools
- Barrington Elementary School: Walk audit April 1, 2019
- Blanton Elementary School: Walk audit March 25, 2019
- Cook Elementary School: Walk audit March 25, 2019
- Dobie Elementary School: Walk audit April 2, 2019
- Guerrero Thompson Elementary School: Walk audit April 3, 2019
- Hart Elementary School: Walk audit April 4, 2019
- McBee Elementary School: Walk audit March 26, 2019
- Padrón Elementary School: Walk audit March 27, 2019
- Pickle Elementary School: Walk audit March 27, 2019
- Reilly Elementary School: Walk audit March 28, 2019
- T.A. Brown Elementary School: Walk audit March 26, 2019
- Walnut Creek Elementary School: Walk audit April 5, 2019
- Webb Primary School: Walk audit March 29, 2019
- Webb Middle School: Walk audit March 29, 2019
- Woolridge Elementary School: Walk audit March 29, 2019
- District 5 schools
- Barton Hills Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 23, 2018
- Casey Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 23, 2018
- Cowan Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 24, 2018
- Cunningham Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 24, 2018
- Joslin Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 25, 2018
- Kocurek Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 25, 2018
- Paredes Middle School: Walk audit Oct. 26, 2018
- Sunset Valley Elementary School: Walk audit June 3, 2019*
- Zilker Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 26, 2018
*Although this school falls outside of the city of Austin, it was included in the study because a significant portion of its student population is located within city limits.
- District 6 schools
- Anderson Mill Elementary School: Walk audit March 25, 2019
- Canyon Creek Elementary School: Walk audit March 26, 2019
- Canyon Vista Elementary School: Walk audit March 28, 2019
- Davis Elementary School: Walk audit March 25, 2019
- Deerpark Elementary School: Walk audit March 29, 2019
- Elsa England Elementary School: Walk audit June 5, 2019*
- Forest North Elementary School: Walk audit March 25, 2019
- Grandview Hills Elementary School: Walk audit Sept. 23, 2019
- Jollyville Elementary School: Walk audit March 26, 2019
- Live Oak Elementary School: Walk audit March 27, 2019
- Noel Grisham Middle School: Walk audit March 27, 2019
- Patsy Sommer Elementary School: Walk audit March 26, 2019
- Pearson Ranch Middle School: Walk audit June 5, 2019*
- Pond Springs Elementary School: Walk audit March 28, 2019
- Purple Sage Elementary School: Walk audit March 28, 2019
- River Place Elementary School: Walk audit March 28, 2019
- Rutledge Elementary School: Walk audit March 27, 2019
- Spicewood Elementary School: Walk audit March 29, 2019
*Although this school falls outside of the city of Austin, it was included in the study because a significant portion of its student population is located within city limits.
- District 7 schools
- Brentwood Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 22, 2018
- Burnet Middle School: Walk audit Oct. 29, 2018
- Delco Primary School: Walk audit Nov. 1, 2018
- Dessau Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 1, 2018
- Dessau Middle School: Walk audit Nov. 1, 2018
- Gullett Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 22, 2018
- Lamar Middle School: Walk audit Oct. 22, 2018
- Parmer Lane Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 29, 2018
- Pillow Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 30, 2018
- River Oaks Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 31, 2018
- Summit Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 29, 2018
- Westview Middle School: Walk audit Oct. 29, 2018
- Wooten Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 1, 2018
- District 8 schools
- Baldwin Elementary School: Walk audit March 20, 2018
- Baranoff Elementary School: Walk audit March 23, 2018
- Boone Elementary School: Walk audit March 22, 2018
- Cedar Creek Elementary School: Walk audit March 20, 2018
- Clayton Elementary School: Walk audit March 21, 2018
- Covington Elementary School: Walk audit March 23, 2018
- Forest Trail Elementary School: Walk audit June 4, 2019*
- Gorzycki Middle School: Walk audit March 20, 2018
- Hill Country Middle School: Walk audit June 4, 2019*
- Kiker Elementary School: Walk audit March 22, 2018
- Mills Elementary School: Walk audit March 21, 2018
- Oak Hill Elementary School: Walk audit March 21, 2018
- Patton Elementary School: Walk audit March 22, 2018
- Small Middle School: Walk audit March 23, 2018
*Although this school falls outside of the city of Austin, it was included in the study because a significant portion of its student population is located within city limits.
- District 9 schools
- Becker Elementary School: Walk audit March 21, 2018
- Lee Elementary School: Walk audit March 22, 2018
- Lively Middle School: Walk audit March 22, 2018
- Maplewood Elementary School: Walk audit March 21, 2018
- Mathews Elementary School: Walk audit March 23, 2018
- Pease Elementary School: Walk audit March 20, 2018
- Ridgetop Elementary School: Walk audit March 20, 2018
- Travis Heights Elementary School: Walk audit March 23, 2018
- District 10 schools
- Bridge Point Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 9, 2017
- Bryker Woods Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 8, 2017
- Casis Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 10, 2017
- Doss Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 10, 2017
- Highland Park Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 19, 2017
- Hill Elementary School: Walk audit Oct. 19, 2017
- Kathy Caraway Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 9, 2017
- Laurel Mountain Elementary School: Walk audit Nov. 13, 2017
- Murchison Middle School: Walk audit Nov. 10, 2017
- O. Henry Middle School: Walk audit Nov. 10, 2017