The Corvallis School District has installed the first-ever traffic garden in Corvallis at Lincoln Elementary School. Wait, what’s a traffic garden, you ask.
Simply, it’s a kid-sized, car-free streetscape featuring stop signs, crosswalks, and mini-intersections. This unique, hands-on learning space allows students to safely practice biking and pedestrian skills before encountering real-world roads.
Work began on Monday, August 18, as part of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program. Lincoln Elementary is one of only three schools in the state selected to receive technical assistance through the Traffic Gardens Pilot Program.
Alta Planning + Design, a national firm that designs projects like these, led the installation, with vital help from community volunteers. Last spring, district, school, parents and staff met to share ideas, ensuring the garden would meet the needs of students and the broader community for years to come.
“This project builds on the district’s long-standing commitment to bike safety education. For decades, Corvallis students have learned bike safety in 5th grade, and this year that instruction expanded to all K–5 students through physical education classes. The Lincoln traffic garden is the first step toward a district-wide vision: a traffic garden at every elementary school,” said a release from the District.
The District also said, “By creating inclusive spaces where students of all backgrounds can learn, practice, and thrive, the district continues to provide safe, relevant, and engaging learning experiences that prepare students for the future.”
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com