What does it take to make it safer and easier for kids to walk, bike, and roll to school and around their communities?
At the 2026 NC BikeWalk Transportation Summit, Dr. Kat Dale of Winterville Safe Routes to School and Oaks & Spokes, Tiffany L. Hooker, Police Officer III with Greensboro Police Department, Desiree Squire of Bike Durham, and Jennifer Delcourt, MPH, with NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division, came together for a panel discussion focused on how collaboration can help create safer communities for students.
The panel explored how schools, transportation advocates, municipalities, and law enforcement can work together to provide meaningful bike and transportation safety education. Panelists shared real-world experiences and strategies for reaching young people through Safe Routes to School programs, community and municipal partnerships, and extracurricular youth engagement.
The conversation also looked at how transportation safety education can extend beyond a single classroom or program. By connecting schools with community partners and creating more opportunities for students to learn, practice, and experience walking and biking, communities can help make active transportation a more accessible part of everyday life.
From Safe Routes to School initiatives to creative youth programming and partnerships with local agencies, the panel highlighted the many ways communities across North Carolina can encourage more kids to walk and roll while keeping safety at the center of the conversation.
The discussion offers practical ideas for educators, advocates, municipalities, law enforcement, and others interested in strengthening transportation safety education and creating communities where young people have more opportunities to get around safely and independently.
