Safe Routes to School Metro Atlanta Region Winners!

We’re excited to announce that Decatur has received three awards from the Georgia Safe Routes to School program!

Metro Atlanta Region Winners for 2023!

Partner of the Year – Glennwood Elementary School, City Schools of Decatur

Friend of the Year – City of Decatur Police Department

Statewide Partner Award – Decatur Parks & Recreation Department

We’re proud to be a city where you can walk and roll to school safely. Thanks to the Decatur community for helping us make it a great school year!

National Crossing Guard Week

Decatur named Carolyn Shorter as Decatur’s Crossing Guard of the Year!

Carolyn Shorter embodies everything the Decatur community wants in a school crossing guard. She genuinely LOVES working with and for children and it shows in her attitude and how she serves as a crossing guard. Carolyn brings joy and fun with her every single day.

“Ms. Carolyn is a wonderful crossing guard and absolutely goes above and beyond. My 4th grader has dismissed me from walking him to/from school, so I don’t see Ms. Carolyn often any more. But she absolutely puts herself between the kids and any dangerous traffic situation. She encourages them and takes the time to build a rapport so that they are more likely to listen and follow her direction. She is a trusted and beloved presence in the school community.” – Sara Weathersby, Parent

“Carolyn has shown herself to be very dependable and professional. She embraces her position and goes above and beyond to make it not only safe, but fun and enjoyable for those around her. Whether it’s through finding neon colored apparel to match her uniform, or giving treats to the kids on Fridays, Carolyn creates an environment that makes everyone want to be a crossing guard.” – Sgt. Phillip Nembheard, Decatur Police Department Crossing Guard Supervisor

Join us in congratulating, Carolyn Shorter, as Decatur’s Crossing Guard of the year! We also want to thank all of our crossing guards for a job well-done!

Clear the Sidewalk Day is Saturday, August 7th

The City of Decatur requests all property owners prune their trees and shrubs to clear the sidewalks and streets.

With school beginning this week, clear sidewalks will make it safer for students to walk safely to school, and make it safer for all pedestrians to walk (or roll) in front of your property without having to go into the street. Pruning your tree will also help keep them from being damaged by trucks and cars.

For information on how to prune, contact the City Arborist, Kay.Evanovich@decaturga.com.

Don’t let your sidewalk look like these:

Children and Bicycle Safety

Bicycle riding is fun, healthy, and a great way to be independent. It is important to remember that a bicycle is not a toy; it’s a vehicle!

Safe Riding Tips from one.nhtsa.gov:

Before using your bicycle, make sure it is ready to ride. You should always
inspect your bike to make sure all parts are secure and working properly.


Remember to:
Wear a Properly Fitted Bicycle Helmet. Protect your brain, save your life. For more information see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication “Easy Steps to Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet.”
Adjust Your Bicycle to Fit. Stand over your bicycle. There should be 1 to 2 inches between you and the top tube (bar) if using a road bike and 3 to 4 inches if a mountain bicycle. The seat should be level front to back. The seat height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be at the same level with the seat.

Check Your Equipment. Before riding, inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work.

See and Be Seen. Whether daytime, dawn, dusk, foul weather, or at night, you need to be seen by others. Wearing white has not been shown to make you more visible. Rather, always wear neon, fluorescent, or other
bright colors when riding day or night. Also wear something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn’t mean the driver can see you.

Control Your Bicycle. Always ride with at least one hand on the handlebars. Carry books and other items in a bicycle carrier or backpack.

Watch for and Avoid Road Hazards. Be on the lookout for hazards such as potholes, broken glass, gravel, puddles, leaves, and dogs. All these hazards can cause a crash. If you are riding with friends and you are in the lead, yell out and point to the hazard to alert the riders behind you.

Avoid Riding at Night. It is far more dangerous to ride at night than during the day because you are harder for others to see. If you have to ride at night, wear something that makes you more easily seen by others. Make sure you have reflectors on the front and rear of your bicycle (white lights on the front and red rear reflectors are required by law in many States), in addition to reflectors on your tires, so others can see you.

For more information on bicycle safety, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Web site at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

Many bicycle-related crashes resulting in injury or death are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior, including suchthings as not wearing a bicycle helmet, riding into a street without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, running a stop sign, and riding the wrong way in traffic. To maximize your safety, always wear a helmet AND follow the rules of the road.

Walk Anywhere (safely) Week!

October 7 is International Walk and Roll to School Day and Decatur’s Safe Routes to School program is celebrating with “Walk Anywhere Week.” 

Take a walk anywhere in the community, post your photo, and tag it #walkanywhereweek, #gasaferoutes, #decatursaferoutes, #iwalk2020

Safe Routes to School at Glennwood ES

Glennwood Elementary Safe Routes to School Champions, Ingrid Rogan and Marishyl Ford, made a video of students talking about why walking and biking to school is fun and important. They showed the video at their last community circle to encourage new students to join in the fun. Take a look and get encouraged to walk or bike your children to school.

For more information on Decatur’s Safe Routes to School program, click here.

Bike Month Poster Contest: Deadline is March 9

bike poster.1

Throwback: Safe Routes to School 2011

This video was created in 2011 by the great parents at Clairemont Elementary to celebrate their six years of Safe Routes to School. In 2011 the school was recognized by the GA Safe Routes Resource Center. It still gives me the chills every time I watch it.

Enjoy seeing children and adults celebrating walking to school!

How to Lock Your Bike

The following information is from Momentum Magazine. Read the entire article here.

bike locked

Illustrator: Thomas James

A man sauntered into our neighborhood bike shop and examined the display of locks. He hefted the most impressive one, a massive, heavy chain, looked at the price tag and frowned. “I don’t know if I can afford it,” he said to the shop owner.

“Can you afford to have your bike stolen?” the owner replied.

This is, in a nutshell, the basic logic of bike security. Bikes are light and easily transported, convenient qualities not only for bike owners, but also for bike thieves. They’re also easily resold, infrequently tracked down by law enforcement, and too often perceived as an “assumed loss,” – many people simply expect to have their bicycle stolen at some point. As a result, bike theft is an absolutely massive – and growing – problem in many cities worldwide.

As the number of bicycles on our streets increase, so too do the number of people trying to make a quick buck off of their vulnerability. But your bicycle doesn’t have to be an assumed loss. By taking a few simple precautions and investing in a decent lock or two, you can basically ensure your precious ride will always be exactly where you left it.

Continue reading the article here.

And here is a good video for the school children on how to lock their bike at school.

Bicycle Safety Tips

bicyclistsafechoices