Hillsboro's 4 'Traffic Playgrounds' Teach Kids About Safety

HILLSBORO, OR — You're a parent. You live in a place where everyone's driving. You want to do everything you can to teach your kids to be safe whether they are walking, riding their bikes or scooters, or just rollerskating along.

The problem is that you wish you could teach them about the rules of the road without actually experiencing the road. What do you do?

Hillsboro has the answer. Traffic playgrounds.

Live in Hillsboro? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone.

The city worked with Metro regional government and the Hillsboro School District to four playgrounds – one each at Bicentennial and Evergreen parks and two at McKinney Elementary School. The one at McKinney is closed during school hours but is available or the public in the evenings and on weekends.

What is a traffic playground?

It's an area in a regular playground where it's painted to resemble streets complete with miniature stop signs and even traffic lights. Children can learn about staying in their lane, about crossing with the light, what a stop sign and right of way mean.

"These are the first traffic playgrounds to be installed in the City of Hillsboro through our Safe Routes to School Program," Hillsboro Public Works Department Assistant Director Tina Bailey said.

"We hope that our youngest commuters, our students traveling to their neighborhood schools, use these spaces to have fun while also learning travel safety skills."

This is a pilot project and additional traffic playgrounds may be built in Hillsboro in the future.