Mayor Lurie Rallies Students for Bike to School Week at John Muir Elementary

Mayor Daniel Lurie, SFUSD Superintendent María Su, and SFMTA Director Julie Kirschbaum gathered with students at John Muir Elementary School on May 6 to kick off Bike and Roll to School Week 2026 — a citywide push to get kids biking, walking, and riding Muni to class. The bilingual press event showcased the multi-agency partnership behind San Francisco's safe-routes-to-school effort and ended with students gearing up for a group ride to Golden Gate Park.

• City leaders promote active transportation for kids, urging students to bike, walk, and ride Muni safely

• Multi-agency partnership on display as SFUSD, SFMTA, and SF Bicycle Coalition coordinate on student safety infrastructure

• Superintendent Su highlights street safety, reminding students that cars don't always see them

City Hall Goes to School: Biking, Safety, and Screens

San Francisco's top leaders traded City Hall for an elementary school courtyard, delivering a coordinated message to students: get moving, stay safe, and put down the phone.

Why it matters: Bike and Roll to School Week is more than a feel-good event. It's the public face of San Francisco's investment in safe routes to school — infrastructure and programming designed to reduce traffic injuries near schools and build sustainable commuting habits in the next generation, a key piece of the city's broader Vision Zero strategy.

Where things stand: The event at John Muir Elementary, emceed by Crisa Caboras, marketing director for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, was conducted bilingually in English and Spanish, reflecting the school community it served. Caboras framed the week as an open invitation:

"Families at schools all over San Francisco are invited to try biking and rolling to get to school."

She thanked the school's staff and administrators for hosting and credited the cross-agency collaboration.

SFUSD Superintendent Dr. María Su took the theme further, connecting the event to the broader ecosystem of agencies working to protect kids on their way to and from school.

"It takes all of us to make sure that when our families and our students either bike or walk to school or take the bus to school, that everyone's working together to keep you safe," she said. "That type of partnership is really, really important."

She acknowledged the week coincided with both Teacher Appreciation Week and Cinco de Mayo, and thanked school Principal Dr. Donald Fraser by name.

SFMTA Director Julie Kirschbaum spoke about her agency's role in making city streets navigable for the youngest San Franciscans across every mode of transportation — biking, walking, Muni, and carpooling.

"I think I have the coolest job because my job is to make it safe for everybody to move around — safe for you to get to school, safe for you to get to camp and to visit friends," she told students.

Mayor Daniel Lurie addressed the children directly, leading with a parental tone before pivoting to a broader message about health, screens, and active living. He encouraged students to stay physically active and reduce screen time, drawing on his own experience as a parent.

"When you go out biking, or when you go out running, when you go out playing sports, you're doing something that's healthy, that's good for your body. You're getting off of those screens," Lurie said. "I have two kids, I have a fifteen-year-old daughter and a twelve-year-old son. And I want them out, getting on their bike, going to the park, getting on Muni."

Lurie closed by praising the teamwork on display and urging the students to look out for one another.

"This is teamwork. And these kids are incredibly cute. Keep being cute and keep being kind to each other. Look out for each other and thank you all,"

He then led the crowd in a "Let's go, San Francisco" chant.

What's next: Following the press event, students at John Muir Elementary headed out on a group bike ride to Golden Gate Park — sunglasses in hand. Bike and Roll to School Week activities continue at schools across San Francisco.