Petaluma’s Safe Routes to School Program Receives Statewide Recognition

PETALUMA CENTER, Sonoma County — Petaluma’s Safe Routes to School Task Force received the 2026 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence, a recognition highlighted during the city’s October 19 council meeting.

The task force brings together municipal public works and police staff, local school districts and regional safe-routes partners. Its work includes assessing routes near schools, identifying dangerous crossings and encouraging families to travel safely on foot or by bicycle. The city presented the statewide award as recognition of collaboration across transportation, schools and public safety.

An award does not mean that every crossing near a Petaluma school has already been rebuilt. Recommended road changes still require engineering, funding, implementation and monitoring. School families should continue using designated crossings and follow traffic controls, particularly during arrival and dismissal hours.

What residents should know

Parents and neighborhood groups can review city traffic project updates and participate in discussions about crossing priorities. Concerns about a particular school street are most useful when they identify the intersection, time of day and type of safety problem.

Primary source: Official agency information.

Additional public record: Supporting agency document.

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