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Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education and Traffic Gardens

Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education and Traffic Gardens

Learn about the curriculum, facilities, and partnerships that support youth bike and pedestrian safety education at Seattle Public Schools.

a paved area has a play area road and parking painted on it
Bicycle safety and play area – Oct. 2023
PE teacher speaking and holding sign that says "proper helmet fit."
Mr. Stewart teaches bicycle safety at Hawthorne Elementary

Physical Education Curriculum

First day of All Kids Bike Program at Hawthorne Elementary School.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety is taught in Physical Education (PE) classes and aligns with state standards to:

  • Instill the joy of walking and rolling.
  • Encourage bicycling and walking as a means of everyday transportation and recreation.
  • Explain basic traffic safety and roadway rules.
  • Increase safe behavior and decrease injury while walking and rolling.
  • Increase confidence on a bike and help develop better bike handling skills.
  • Instill a sense of self-responsibility about safety and respect for other street and trail users.

Three programs available based on grade level:

All Kids Bike
Let’s Go
Let’s Go Further

Learn more about our mobility education programs in the Seattle Traffic Garden Handbook, Section III “SPS Mobility Education“.

Traffic Gardens

White Center Traffic Garden. Video by Alta Planning and Design.

Traffic Gardens provide a comfortable, car-free space for youth to develop bike skills and street safety knowledge, helping them to become more independent and confident road users no matter which mode of transportation they choose. At schools, traffic gardens serve as a dedicated space for PE bike and pedestrian safety instruction.

What is a Traffic Garden?

aerial view of miniature streets and traffic circles painted onto asphalt surface.
White Center Traffic Garden. Photo by Cascade Bicycle Club.

A traffic garden is a play and learning space consisting of reduced-sized streets and scaled down traffic elements assembled into a network. It is a small world for active play and a purpose designed space for children to learn bicycling skills and roadway safety. Traffic gardens introduce kids to traffic rules and interactions, and, through the knowledge and self-awareness developed, make them better and safer users of the transportation system as they practice and get older. Learn more about the history of traffic gardens and their availability and use nationwide.

The Seattle Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Program supported Discover Traffic Gardens, Cascade Bicycle Club, and Outdoors for All to develop a handbook for creating traffic gardens in the City of Seattle and at Seattle Public Schools sites. The work resulted in a step-by-step guide, called the Seattle Traffic Garden Handbook.

Seattle Traffic Garden Handbook

Current Sites with Traffic Gardens

Graphic of traffic garden with children playing and PE teacher welcoming students.
West Seattle Elementary

Design incorporated with basketball striping and leads to featured High Point mural.

a paved area has lines for baskeball and basketball hoops, plus painted bike traffic lines
Bicycle traffic garden and basketball play area – August 2023
the wall of a paved play area has a mural painted on it that says High Point Community
Mural – August 2023
Kimball Elementary
Mini streescape wraps around four square courts on blacktop.
Mini streetscape wraps around four square courts at Kimball.
a paved area in front of a building has road lines and building outlines painted on it
Traffic garden in the play area – August 2023
Viewlands Elementary
a paved area has a play area road and parking painted on it
Bicycle safety and play area – Oct. 2023
aerial view of a large L-shaped building with planters in front and a parking area with cars in it
Looking southwest with the entry plaza and canopy to the left – Dec. 2023
Source: Cascade Bicycle Club.

Traffic garden with foursquare, rainbow crosswalk, basketball striping, and traffic circles.

James Baldwin Elementary
a paved area with striping painted on it
Traffic garden and foursquare.
Olympic Hills Elementary

Miniature road painted on blacktop.
Miniature road with roundabout painted on blacktop.
Miniature road with parking stalls painted on blacktop with school in background.
Miniature road painted on blacktop with stop sign.
Miniature road painted on blacktop with painted railroad tracks.
Miniature painted road curves around four square court and student chalk art. On black top with school in background.
Beacon Hill International Elementary

Miniature pedestrian crosswalk and stop signs on traffic garden roadway.
Miniature street painted with yield and roundabout.
Three volunteers paint traffic garden street lines on pavement.
Volunteer painting street line for miniature traffic garden street.
Rising Star Elementary

Photos coming soon!

Maple Elementary

Photos coming soon!

Traffic Gardens will be coming to other elementary and K-8 schools soon. Learn more in our FAQs section.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the plan and timeline for additional locations?
  • SPS is committed to bringing traffic gardens to all elementary and K-8 schools in the district to support Physical Education Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education and play opportunities outside of class.
  • The project implementation team is a collaborative effort by Capital Projects and Planning, Physical Education, Volunteer Enhancement Projects, Facilities and Operations and Safe Routes to School.
  • The team is currently working to evaluate sites and develop site plans specific to each school’s site and preferences.
  • Timeline: Our goal is for an implementation plan to be developed for each elementary and K-8 site by 2025.
Will Traffic Gardens pave playfields or remove other play striping?

Traffic Gardens are painted within existing paved play areas. Designs are included in addition to the existing striping, can incorporate various play elements (like four square, tetherball, and basketball court striping), and are adapted to each site’s space and school preferences.

How are they funded?

The project is funded by capital levy dollars which are specifically designated for school construction, modernization, and capital improvement projects. The Seattle Traffic Garden Handbook project was funded by the Seattle Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Program.

Why is it called a “Traffic Garden”?

Traffic Gardens may also be called Safety Towns, Safety Villages, Road Tracks, and Traffic Playgrounds. The name “Traffic Garden” is used to emphasize the interactive play elements and the nurturing and growth that accompanies safety skill building in these spaces.

Why bring Traffic Gardens to Schools?

Traffic Gardens support our PE Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education programs. This curriculum aligns with state standards to:

  • Instill the joy of walking and rolling.
  • Encourage bicycling and walking as a means of everyday transportation and recreation.
  • Explain basic traffic safety and roadway rules.
  • Increase safe behavior and decrease injury while walking and rolling.
  • Increase confidence on a bike and help develop better bike handling skills.
  • Instill a sense of self-responsibility about safety and respect for other street and trail users.
How can you get involved?
  • Organize an event or activity at your traffic garden
  • Want a traffic garden at your school? Contact Brooke to request a site evaluation and design for your school site. Sites are evaluated based on existing pavement and painted play conditions, size of space, and complexity of traffic garden design.