Brownell Buffaloes Lead the Way in Active Transportation

Brownell Buffaloes are on a roll! Students have engaged with safe and sustainable transportation all year long through their partnership with Lincoln Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, with support from Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County (SKLLC). From a Bike Rodeo in the fall, to a spring Bike & Pedestrian Safety Day, Spring Fling activities, and a Bike & Roll to School Day celebration, students learned about safely traveling on wheels or on foot. Lincoln Transportations and Utilities (LTU) also assisted in a recent crosswalk upgrade for the community at 61st & Aylesworth, providing Brownell students with safer routes to walk and bike to school. These endeavors are a part of national Walk and Bike to School efforts, led by the National Center for Safe Routes to Schools and implemented by local organizations such as SRTS, part of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities.

Bike Bus and Bike Rodeo

Even before this school year, Brownell has been a leader in active transportation through the school’s bike bus. Led by parent volunteer Kyle McLaughlin, the bike bus is a community-centered approach to encourage students to get to school on time in an active, safe, and sustainable way. Instead of boarding a yellow school bus or climbing into a family car, kids pedal to class together with an adult leader. The bike bus offers physical activity and a chance to build community while also reducing the carbon footprint of their morning commute.

McLaughlin also helped organize the school’s first ever Bike Rodeo at this year’s Brownell Fall Festival. Through a biking obstacle course, students got to practice their riding skills and learned safety behaviors. SRTS also helped ensure all participants rode safely by providing free bike helmets and helmet fittings.

Children and adults gather for the Brownell Bike Rodeo with bicycles, playing and socializing near a colorful playground on a clear day, conveying a lively community atmosphere.
Students biking around the "bike obstacle course" at the Brownell Bike Rodeo.
A group of adults and children in helmets stand with bicycles on green grass, smiling under a sunny sky. A school sign and trees are in the background.
Brownell Bike Bus poses during Bike and Walk to School Day.

Bike & Pedestrian Safety Day

Following the crosswalk renovation, Brownell hosted a Bike & Pedestrian Safety Day on April 7th, where all students K-5 rotated through four unique stations to learn about different safe & active transportation topics:

Featuring the updated 61st & Aylesworth crosswalk, students learned the 4 steps to safely navigate a crosswalk. They got the opportunity to practice stopping at the curb, looking right, left, and right again, checking for cars, and walking across the new crosswalk.

Lincoln Transportation and Utilities staff Melissa Ramos-Lammli and Roberto Partida, and SRTS volunteer Delrae Hirschman assisted students in this activity to learn crosswalk safety.

Stylized silhouettes of people in blue and green, depicting walking, cycling, and using wheelchairs, against a black background, conveying movement and accessibility.

A crossing guard assists a group of children at a crosswalk on a cloudy day. The guard wears a neon vest, and the children are bundled in winter clothing.

Black Hills Energy brought their heavy-duty utility trucks and let students sit in the driver’s seat.

By experiencing the limited visibility of large profile vehicles, students better understood the importance of being safe when walking or biking near larger vehicles.

Stylized silhouettes of people in blue and green, depicting walking, cycling, and using wheelchairs, against a black background, conveying movement and accessibility.

A utility worker in a safety vest and cap assists a child sitting in a truck's driver's seat. They appear focused and engaged, conveying learning and guidance.

Brian Baker, Public Health Educator at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, taught students the risks of brain injury associated with riding bikes without a helmet. Then, he demonstrated how to ensure your bike helmet fits properly to prevent injuries.

Stylized silhouettes of people in blue and green, depicting walking, cycling, and using wheelchairs, against a black background, conveying movement and accessibility.

A man holds a helmet during a school presentation in a gym. Kids sit attentively in the foreground.

Students learned about the importance of stopping speed of e-bikes and cars, and the differences between predicting speeds for pedestrians, bikers, e-bikers, and drivers with Rachel Redepenning, Public Health Educator at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, and Alex Dury, Planning Construction Coordinator with Lincoln Parks and Recreation.

By showcasing the differences between the time it takes each mode of transportation to come to a complete stop, students learned safe behaviors by being aware of their surroundings while walking and biking.

Stylized silhouettes of people in blue and green, depicting walking, cycling, and using wheelchairs, against a black background, conveying movement and accessibility.

A woman, standing in front of a brick wall, gestures while engaging a group of seated children who raise their hands. Nearby, a man stands beside parked bicycles.

Spring Fling

A child in a helmet watches two adult volunteers from Lincoln Bike Kitchen repair a bike at Brownell. Kids and vibrant playground equipment are in the background. Sunny day.
Lincoln Bike Kitchen volunteers help repair a students bike.

On April 10th, Brownell families gathered for a Spring Fling, which celebrated reaching the end of the school year and continued to promote physical activity. Students enjoyed four movement stations featuring hop scotch, hula hoop, jump rope, and four-square. SRTS & SKLLC handed out punch cards for the activity stations, and the first 50 students to visit all four and complete their card got to pick out a “fun and fit” prize!

The Lincoln Bike Kitchen (LBK) was present to give students and families bike check-ups, making sure tires were inflated and chains well-oiled. They also brought a demo bike to show children how to check breaks, tires, and chains before riding.

Food trucks also provided snacks and shaved ice for families to enjoy as they browsed various booths outside. Lincoln LTU quizzed students on some safety skills, and Nebraska Extension shared information on healthy lifestyle habits. The activities continued inside with a glow-in-the-dark dance with a D.J. and fog machines, where families boogied around the gym with glow sticks.

Bike & Roll to School Celebration

The fun continued as the school celebrated students who biked and rolled to school on May 14th. Celebrations kicked off with a Walk & Roll Safety Art Contest. Students colored and drew yard signs with special safety messages such as “slow your roll” or “all wheels welcome”. Winners of the contest will have their designs printed onto yard signs, which will be distributed to all Brownell families in the fall. These students will also be entered into a raffle and get the chance to win a brand new bike!

On the week of their Bike & Roll to School celebration, students who walked, biked, or rolled to school while demonstrating safe behaviors received special HERD tickets. Students with these tickets got the chance to win prizes that promote physical activity, such as a football, kite, or pedometer. Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, and LPS Sustainability staff also joined the celebration to hand out cycling-themed stickers, temporary tattoos, high visibility arm bands, and biking safety resources.

ive children outdoors hold signs for Walk, Bike, and Roll to School promoting safety, with messages like "Safety starts with me" and "I use my head. I wear a helmet!" They are smiling, conveying a positive and cheerful mood.
Brownell students hold Bike and Walk to School Day posters.
A smiling young girl stands outdoors on a sidewalk with a pink scooter. She wears a floral jacket, pink leggings, and a purple backpack. Trees and houses are in the background, conveying a cheerful and lively atmosphere.
Brownell student poses with her scooter and Bike to School sticker
A woman hands a green reflective arm band to two children with backpacks next to a blue table with a health department logo. Chalk art covers the sidewalk.
Volunteer from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department hands students green reflective arm bands.
Two children with helmets park their colorful bikes at a bike rack on a sidewalk. They're wearing backpacks, surrounded by greenery and homes.
Brownell students park their bikes on the way to school.
A group of kids with helmets walk their bikes down a suburban sidewalk on a sunny day. Orange cones line the path, indicating a safe bike route.
Brownell students biking to school.
Children in helmets park colorful bikes at a school bike rack. A large tree and suburban houses are in the background. The atmosphere is lively and cheerful.
Brownell students parking their bikes at school.
A group of children stands on a grassy field. A member of the LPS Sustainability Team hands a Bike to School day sticker to the group. A backpack and a purple bag are on the ground.
Sofia Grace, member of the LPS Sustainability team, hands out stickers to Brownell students.
A young girl and a woman wearing a yellow safety vest walk on a chalk-decorated sidewalk. They smile near a grassy area and bikes at Brownell Elementary School.
Brownell student walking to school.

In the fall, the yard signs will help remind Brownell to continue practicing what they have learned this year about safety and physical activity. Thanks to Lincoln Safe Routes to School for making these celebrations possible and to Brownell for helping their school stay safe and active! There’s no doubt this year’s Walk and Bike to School celebrations have left Brownell students pedaling towards greatness.

Stylized silhouettes of people in blue and green, depicting walking, cycling, and using wheelchairs, against a black background, conveying movement and accessibility.