On April 29, the Los Altos Complete Streets Commission proclaimed May as “Bike Month,” kicking off a series of events to promote and celebrate cycling in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Thousands of cyclists pass through our communities each month, enjoying Santa Clara County’s roads and trails. Hundreds of children and teenagers cycle to our schools every day, while recreational cyclists travel north and south along Foothill Expressway and east and west to and from the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains. What is it about Los Altos and Los Altos Hills that makes cycling so popular? Perhaps it's our flat streets and bike-friendly routes for commuting, our challenging foothills for recreation, or our near-perfect weather! And once people start cycling, they discover a sense of joy and freedom in the experience. Students quickly learn that one of the fastest–and most fun–ways to get to class is on two wheels. Students at Springer and Santa Rita have now also experienced the joys of riding in a “bike bus” (see sidebar). To share the joy, the City of Los Altos and the Town of Los Altos Hills, together with coalition of community partners, is highlighting a number of events to encourage folks to saddle up and ride during Bike Month: Bike Buses are Coming to Town Springer’s March 6 WoW! Day featured an organized bike bus—the first coordinated bike commute of its kind at the school. It drew 40 participants, with five adults supporting the ride and dozens of students enjoying the journey to school together. The result? Happy kids and a full bike rack! The bike bus returned for Springer’s April 3 and 24 WoW! Days, building even more momentum. And Springer isn’t the only school benefiting. Avid bike commuter and Earth advocate Terry Barton helped spark and organize a bike bus at Santa Rita, as well. Terry worked on a route for the school’s late March WoW! Day focusing on the north side of El Camino. When they arrived at school, bike bus participants were greeted with a bike skills course, lively music, and fun giveaways. Interested in starting a WoW! program or organizing a bike bus at your school? Email us at info@greentownlosaltos.org. May 6 and all month | Bike to school May 6th is National Bike & Roll to School Day 2026, which invites participants to celebrate the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit. Many schools are celebrating biking to school with Walk or Wheel (WoW!) encouragement days. WoW! is a project of GreenTown Los Altos, which works with school PTA leads to encourage greener alternatives to the single family car, such as biking, walking, and carpooling, for school commutes. Local school WoW! Days during Bike Month include: May 1 - Covington, Loyola, and Springer Elementary May 6 - Gardner Bullis Elementary May 7 - Bullis Charter School North and South; and May 29 - Oak Avenue Elementary. May 9 | Ride to run The Los Altos Hills Pathways Run/Walk is a great excuse to get on your bike and try out some hills. Go early and run (1st race starts at 9am) or go later and spectate. May 15 | Bike to dinner Downtown Los Altos Bike ‘n Dine is back for the fourth year in a row, from 5-8pm! Bring your bike, friends, and family, and join us for a fun-filled evening of biking, dining, and community-building at the Veteran’s Community Plaza on the corner of State and Main Streets! There will be music, activities for children, and a “bike valet” to safely park your bike while you explore the vibrant downtown area on foot. We'll also share event swag including exclusive dining discounts and offers from downtown restaurants. May 23 | High School Student Bike Tour of Stanford Get to know bike and train routes to Stanford and learn more about university life and programs from local students. For more information on these and other events that promote and celebrate cycling during Bike Month, visit bikelosaltos.com and bikelosaltos.org. Bike Month is organized by a coalition including the City of Los Altos, the Town of Los Altos Hills, GreenTown Los Altos, Safe Routes to Downtown Los Altos, Los Altos Village Association, and the Anne Wojcicki Foundation.

In Fall 2025, over several weeks in October and November, Los Altos School District (LASD) surveyed students about their journey to school using a method developed by GreenTown Los Altos. Classroom teachers conducted a hand-count in which students raised their hands when they heard the transport method that they used that morning (e.g., walk, bike, car, carpool, other). For example, teachers asked: “By a show of hands, when you left your house this morning, how many of you walked to school?" The table below outlines the percent of students who used alternative modes for their school commute, e.g., walk or wheel (WoW!) to school. Modes that qualify for WoW! include walking, biking, scootering, skateboarding, roller blading, or carpooling with students from another family. One caveat with the data is that some days in which students were surveyed coincided with WoW! Days in which students were explicitly encouraged to walk or bike to school. These are indicated with an * or ** in the table below. GreenTown's WoW! program provides support to parent leads at each school. The data from LASD surveys helps GreenTown direct program resources by revealing which schools are effectively promoting alternative transportation and which could use additional support. Table: School Commute: Percentage WoW! vs. Single-Family Car School WoW!  (All Modes) Single-Family Car Loyola* 69.3% 30.7% Gardner Bullis* 60.7% 39.3% Santa Rita ** 58.0% 42.0% Springer** 49.5% 50.5% Almond** 41.1% 58.9% Oak* 39.1% 60.9% Covington 31.3% 68.7% Blach 66.8% 33.2% Egan 56.7% 43.3 * or ** Indicates that the school had a Fall WoW! encouragement event. **Indicates that a majority of classrooms were surveyed on the school's Fall WoW! Day. To learn more about the findings, please click on the PDF below. Please contact Margie Suozzo, GreenTown Los Altos WoW! Lead for questions and comments. info@greentownlosaltos.org .

The GreenTown Green Gardeners list is here thanks to the contributions of GreenTown community members. This list was created in response to multiple requests from people who were seeking a recommended gardener who use electric leaf blowers . These gardeners obey the Los Altos ban on gas leaf blowers. We encourage you to discuss the details with the gardeners for further information in you decision process. If you know a gardener who would like to be on this list, have them contact lindaz@greentownlosaltos.org and submit 2 references. To learn more about why Gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in over 170 cities across the country and why they are highly polluting, unhealthy, and noisy, visit the GreenTown Don't Blow-It webpage . Green Gardners' List (in no particular order) Andres Hernandez (650) 518-2306 Ernesto Martinez Gardening Care Service ernestogardens@gmail.com AZ Gardening and Landscaping (408) 413-8447 Jaime’s Gardening and Landscaping Jaime Perez (408) 375-8525 4238 Rosenbaum Ave, San Jose 95136 Barriga’s Expert Gardening Arturo Barriga (408) 661-5306 Arturo barriga 022811@gmail.com Curtis Horticulture Stephanie Curtis info@curtishort.com curtishort.com Mario Gaspar 669-238-8870 mgaspar@christemmahorticulture.com Juan Cervantes (650) 390-7310

CLEAN AIR WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP OUR MISSION We advocate for alternatives to using methane (natural gas) in and around your home. The Ambassador program helps you transition to electric appliances in your home. THE PROBLEM CO2 emissions from our homes is a big percentage of the total emissions pie. Using a gas leaf blower pollutes as bad as driving a big truck without any smog devices. Methane gas is hazardous to your health HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED Learn More or Get Involved ... If you would like to learn how you can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in you home or business or would like to help in the efforts, please contact us! Email Us Don't Blow It! Gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in over 170 cities across the country because they are highly polluting, unhealthy and noisy. What can you do about it? Learn More Electrifying Your Home Make the switch to clean energy in your home. Lean More Why I Cook With Induction! Hear why this chef cooks almost exclusively with induction these days - and why they won't be going back to gas in the home! Watch the Video Switch to Electric '23 Incentives Learn about tax credits, rebates and other incentives to help households switch out their fossil-fueled appliances to electric appliances Download PDF Reach Codes in Los Altos Electric homes save money, your health and the environment. Learn about why this is important and how the city is addressing it! Learn More

Conservation Stormwater RunOff BACKGROUND Runoff is rain that falls onto hardscape such as the asphalt and concrete of driveways, walkways, and streets. These impervious surfaces in our urban environment prevent stormwater from naturally soaking into the ground. Following 3 years of GreenTown advocacy, in November 2018 the Los Altos City Council voted to adopt eco-friendly solutions to capture dirty street runoff. The Shoulder Paving Policy, which applies to all new residential construction and major remodels, embraces permeable materials in the City Right of Way. Organic materials allow rain to sink into the ground, where toxins are captured and decompose. These “green streets” keep polluted water out of our waterways. The abundance of natural frontage in Los Altos, streets without curbs and gutters, offer tremendous opportunity to maximize stormwater capture. THE PROBLEM Believe it or not, the single largest source of pollution in the San Francisco Bay is stormwater runoff. Runoff flows through the system of curbs and gutters to storm drains that empty directly into our watershed. Along the way, beautiful rain transforms into a pollutant. Stormwater runoff picks up oil, grease and metals from cars, chemicals that leech from asphalt, fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides from our landscape, and pet waste laden with bacteria and viruses. These pollutants pose health risks to humans, wildlife, and plants. HOW YOU CAN HELP Minimize Hardscape. Maximize Greenscape. Be a part of the solution to stormwater pollution! Capturing rain where it falls helps to keep our waterways clean and healthy. Rain water is easily captured in rain gardens, vegetated swales, catch basins, dry creeks and other greenscapes. The water is purified as it gradually percolates through the soil and recharges our aquifers. To learn more watch the videos in the resources section: “Capture Rain Where It Falls” Permeable Surfaces Handbook The "Permeable Surfaces Handbook" is a comprehensive, innovative guide designed to educate readers on easy installation of permeable surfaces, aligning with the Los Altos city code for permeable surfaces for sidewalks, walkways, patios, driveways and/or uncovered parking lots. It provides practical advice on installation and maintenance, aiming to help both DIY enthusiasts and professionals implement these eco-friendly solutions. This handbook was developed by highschool student Aanya Dhruv and sought the help of with the city engineers to get it up to the Los Altos housing codes. She is also the founder of ejgrassroots.org that is focused on environmental justice and leveraging science to solve environmental issues. RESOURCES Email Us For inquiries about the SchoolWoW! program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

OUR PROJECTS Interested in volunteering with or leading a project? Email us at volunteer@greentownlosalos.org Pollinator Gardens Want to encourage song birds and butterflies? Plant a pollinator garden with California native plants! Small pollinator gardens scattered throughout the city will form a healthy connection for the insects and birds that will help them thrive. Learn More 500 Trees We have planted 500 Trees! Thank you for being part of this amazing achievement! Learn More Clean A Creek Volunteer to help us clean up the Permanente & Adobe Creeks Learn More Say No to thirsty landscapes Learn about saving water with drought-tolerant landscaping. Replace your lawn with a beautiful native garden! Learn More Recycle Water Graywater is lightly used water that is safe for most landscapes. Learn about the types of graywater systems and if they are is right for you. Learn More Manage Stormwater Run-off Minimize hardscape. Plant rain gardens and greenscape. Learn More Annual Bike Rides Join us for the annual the Historic, Summer & Winter Solstice and Lawn-be-gone Bike Rides Learn More Electrify You Home Make the switch to clean energy in your home. Learn More Try an Induction Cooktop Hear why this chef cooks almost exclusively with induction and won't be going back to gas! Borrow an induction stove from us - Try it and you wont be switching back! Learn More Reach Codes in Los Altos Electric homes save money, your health and the environment. Learn about why this is important and how the city is addressing it! Learn More Living Electric Fair Join Sparky the Firefly for this family-friendly event to learn how to make your home healthier by living Electric! Learn More