The newly-renamed Chicago SAFE (Streets Are For Everybody) Ambassador program, formerly the City of Chicago Safe Routes and Bicycling Ambassador program, is the Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) safety education and engagement team. The purpose of the Chicago SAFE Ambassadors is to educate and encourage all city residents to safely walk, bike, drive, and use mass transit.

Achieving our Vision Zero safety goals requires many different approaches. The SAFE Ambassadors work with schools to ensure that they are compliant with Illinois HB4799. The law requires school boards overseeing any grades between kindergarten and 8th to adopt a policy (to be updated every 2 years) which provides education to students on preventing and avoiding traffic injuries related to walking and bicycling to school. In partnership with the Chicago Park District, the Junior SAFE Ambassadors provide educational safety presentations and workshops for students attending summer day camps.

SAFE Ambassadors attend a host of community bike rides in communities that otherwise would not see the biking community rolling through their neighborhood. They use that opportunity to educate participants on the proper way to wear a helmet and hand signals for cyclists.

The Ambassadors also provide the 55 and better community with customized Safe Routes for Seniors presentations. We are currently in the process of creating a SAFE Seniors bingo game to incorporate traffic safety into a proven crowd-pleaser activity.

Every summer the SAFE Ambassadors provide free safe cycling instruction to residents. These free “Learn to Ride” classes have been successful since they started. There are currently 3 locations in which residents can learn to ride a bike for free. Coming this summer, we will begin offering free group ride classes so that we can get people feeling comfortable riding on the street, accustom drivers to seeing more bikers on the streets in their neighborhoods, and showcase biking as a transportation option. Finally, in partnership with the Chicago Police Department, we engage in Education Mission pop-ups  and bike light giveaways throughout the city.

Between October 2018 and September 2019, with a staff of 2 full-time and 12 part-time employees, the Chicago SAFE Ambassadors were able to attend 680 events, educate and engage over 75,000 residents, present to 90 schools, educate summer camp students at 177 parks, and hold 76 Education Mission pop-ups with CPD. We are looking forward to ramping up our program in 2020 as we work towards our goal of Vision Zero and SAFE streets here in Chicago.

Shameka Turner is the Program Manager of the Chicago SAFE Ambassadors program.

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