Safe Routes To School

Safe Routes To School

Lenexa, KS

Additional Content Added by:

City, Unified School Dist, & NCWRPC

Why Safe Routes To School?

1. Fewer kids walk and bike to school

2. Health consequences due to inactivity

3. SRTS programs are part of the solution



1. Fewer kids are biking and walking. More parents are driving.

1969: 42% walked

2001: 16% walked

(CDC, 2005)



Parents driving

Parents driving children to school: 20%-25% of morning traffic

(NHTSA 2003; Dept. of Environment)



It’s not just distance

Students who live within 1 mile and walk or bike:

1969: 87%2001: 63% (CDC, 2005)



2. Unintended consequences of less walking and bicycling?

For the environment

For individual health



Air quality

Measurably better around schools with more walkers and bicyclists

(EPA, 2003)

Chicago, IL



Physical inactivity

Most kids aren’t getting the physical activity they need

Recommended 60 minutes on most, preferably all, days of the week

(US Depts. of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, 2005)



U.S. youth overweight rates

(National Center for Health Statistics)



Overweight children have an increased risk of…

Type 2 Diabetes

Low self esteem

Decreased physical functioning

Obesity in adulthood

Many other negative emotional & physical effects

(Institute of Medicine, 2005)



Good news!

Antigo is taking action on behalf of children through Safe Routes to School (SRTS)

Phoenix, AZWinston-Salem, NC Alhambra, CA



3. Safe Routes to School programs are part of the solution…...to improve

walking and bicycling conditions

...to increase physical activity

...to decrease air pollution

Dallas, TX



Safe Routes To Schoolin

Antigo



SRTS Schools in Antigo

West East

Middle North



SRTS Planning Timeline

•August – Planning Grant Awarded

•October – Planning Started

•November – Walk Audits created

2008:

•Aug/Sept – Community Meetings

•Fall – Develop alternatives

•Fall – Implementation

2009:



Elements of SRTS programs

Education

Encouragement

Enforcement

Engineering

Evaluation

Lenexa, KS



Education

Teaches safety skills

Creates safety awareness

Fosters life-long safety habits

Includes parents, neighbors and other drivers

Chicago, IL



Increases popularity of walking and bicycling

Is an easy way to start SRTS programs

Emphasizes fun

Encouragement



Enforcement

Increases awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists

Improves driver behavior

Helps children follow traffic rules

Denver, CO

Richmond, VA



Engineering

Creates safer conditions for walking and bicycling

Can influence the way people behave



Evaluation

Is the program making a difference?Survey Parents & Students annually.



Antigo’s SRTS Goals

Where it is safe, get children walking and biking to increase their health.

Improve children’s safety around schools during drop-off and pick-up, so children can walk and bike safely to school.



Antigo is generally safe. - Theft and violence still happen.

Major roads and neighborhoods need sidewalks throughout Antigo.- Students are walking on the roads now.

School zone crossings may need upgrades.- Crossing Hwy 45 is necessary for Middle School

Antigo Overall…NCWRPC analysis of information



Parent Survey (Fall 2008)

A survey of parents occurred in Fall of 2008.

How did your child get to school?

What change is needed before you allow child to walk to school?



Fewer kids are biking and walking. More parents are driving.

Fall 2008 SurveyWalked , Biked

North: 9% , 4%

East: 22% , 2%

Middle: 8% , 2%

West: 22% , 4%



How do students arrive at East?

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

< 1/4 1/4 to 1/2 1/2 to 1 1 to 2 >2

Carpool

M & D

School Bus

Bike

Walk



East students have asked to walk.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

< 1/4 1/4 to 1/2 1/2 to 1 1 to 2 >2

Not Asked

Asked



East parents would allow walking at grade:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Ne

ve

r

< 1/41/4 to 1/21/2 to 11 to 2 >2

0

1

2

3

4

5

6



East parents would allow walking/bikingif issue changed:Top Issues Chg would (unsure)… would not…

…affect decision

•Weather/climate 27% (12%) 34%

•Safe intersections 29% (5%) 22%

•Traffic volume 17% (10%) 29%

•Distance 20% (5%) 27%



East parent comments from survey

•I would allow child to walk with older student

•Need more crossing guards

•Sexual predators



Antigo Walking Audit

What is it?

•Local assessment of walking conditions within ¼ mile of each school.

Why use audits?

•Physically makes people aware of local conditions, and local behaviors.



East student & parent behaviors fromFall 2008 Walk Audit

•Parents parked on both sides of Virginia St and on 7th

•Cars parking in No Parking areas by East

•House blocks view at Hudson & Field Streets



East Teacher survey resultsFall 2008

•Parents & students not using crosswalks

•Students riding bikes on sidewalks

•Speed limits around school seem not enforced

•67% of teachers incorporate bike & ped. safety in class



Antigo SRTS

What’s next?

Safe Routes To School

Documents

Transcript of Safe Routes To School