SRTS Parent Survey Presentation published

C I T Y O F N E W T O N P L A N N I N G D E P A R T M E N T

S A F E R O U T E S T O S C H O O L

S P R I N G 2 0 1 4

Newton Student Transportation Survey

Survey Background

Purpose of Survey To determine how and why children get to and from school

How it was administered Survey Monkey link sent via PTO newsletters and Principal emails

Response rate High response rate, averaging just over 30% of families responded

While range of elementary school responses were 7% - 50% ,12 of the 15 elementary exceeding 20%

Middle school and high school responses were clustered near the 25% average response rate for secondary schools

Mostly positive follow up emails sent by many respondents

2

Completed Surveys

Elementary 1394

Middle School 773

High School 913

3

Completed Surveys

Elementary 1394

Middle School 773

High School 913

School completed

Surveys % of

families

Mason-Rice 164 50%

Cabot 179 46%

Zervas 104 43%

Pierce 85 35%

Bowen 132 35%

Countryside 115 33%

Lincoln Eliot 89 32%

Underwood 80 32%

Burr 97 27%

Average 92.9 30.6%

Horace Mann 95 29%

Franklin 78 26%

Angier 77 24%

Williams 45 18%

Ward 31 16%

Memorial Spaulding 23 7%

Total 1,394 31%

School completed

surveys % of

families

Bigelow 104 23%

Brown 284 45%

Day 252 31%

Oak Hill 133 24%

Total 773 32%

School completed

surveys % of

families

Newton North 472 28%

Newton South 441 29%

Total 913 29%

4

Comments on Survey Data

Underrepresented populations Schools MBTA riders High school drivers High school bicycle riders

Winter effect Responses likely slightly over weighted to driving due to timing of

survey doesn’t include fair weather walkers/bikers

Distance to school data Obtained outside of survey process Limits ability to mine data using Survey Monkey tools

Captures a great deal of additional comments Highlight specific problems These deserve further review

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Transportation Mode

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200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Re

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Survey Responses

To School

From School

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Estimating Daily Trips

GIS data used to determine walking distance for each family from home to school based on main intersections given

Developed transportation mode profile for distance segments based on average survey responses from families that live within that distance segment

Estimated number of trips by mode by applying mode profile to the estimated # of families within that distance segment

7

How do students get to and from school?

- 500

1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000

Es

tim

ate

d D

ail

y T

rip

s

All Students *

To School

From School

* Excludes Memorial Spaulding due to low response rate and out-of-district students

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0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Es

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ate

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s Elementary Students*

To School

From School

The family vehicle is the primary way students get to and from school.

Average distance walked: 0.49 miles

Average distance biked: 0.66 miles

* Excludes Memorial Spaulding due to low response rate and out-of-district students

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45% of elementary parents responding drive every day

35% of elementary parents responding walk every day

What did we hear about why choices are made?

Elementary

• Why we walk?

• We want to walk not drive – 566 families

• We have no choice – 89 families

• Parents leave for work before school starts

• No driver available or no car available to drive

• Why we drive?

• 427 families responded snowy, icy sidewalks is the #1 reason they drive, another 270 listed it as key reason

• 300+ responded they are on their way to/from somewhere

• 250 responded unsafe crossings as #1 reason they drive

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-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Es

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ate

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rip

s Middle School Students

To School

From School

Average distance of car trip: 1.23 miles 35% of car trips under 1 mile


Average distance biked: 1.0 mile

Nearly 50% of children driven in the morning walk or take the bus after school.

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0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

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s High School Students

To School

From School

Trips by vehicle is again the primary way students get to and from school.

Average distance of car trip: 1.62 miles 18% of car trips under 1 mile


Average distance biked: 1.49 miles

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What did we hear about why choices are made?

Middle School & High School Responses were similar at both levels • Why we don’t drive?

• Primary reason is kids like to walk • Inconvenient to drive • Live very close • Bus is very convenient • 10% of students walk, bike or take the bus as parents leave for work

before kids leave for school • 20%+ must walk, bike or take the bus home because of parents’ work

schedule

• Why we drive? • 24% families stated that snowy, icy sidewalks is the #1 reason they drive

their kids TO school • 23% of families think the walk takes too long

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Transportation modes by distance – to school

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

< 1/4 mile 1/4 to 1/2mile

1/2 - 1 mile > 1 mile

Da

ily

Tr

ips

to

Sc

ho

ol

Distance from home to school

Elementary Students

Car Pool

Familyvehicle

Riding thebus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

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Transportation modes by distance – from school

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500


1/2 - 1 mile > 1 mile

Da

ily

Tr

ips

fr

om

Sc

ho

ol

Distance from to school to home

Elementary Students

Car Pool

Familyvehicle

Riding thebus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

15


-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

< 1/4mile

1/4 to1/2 mile

1/2 - 1mile

1 -1 1/2miles

1 1/2 - 2miles

> 2miles

Da

ily

tr

ips

to

sc

ho

ol


Middle School Students Car Pool

Familyvehicle

MBTA

School Bus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

16


-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

< 1/4mile

1/4 to1/2 mile

1/2 - 1mile

1 -1 1/2miles

1 1/2 - 2miles

> 2miles

Da

ily

tr

ips

to

sc

ho

ol

Distance from to school to home


Familyvehicle

MBTA

School Bus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

Nearly 50% of children driven in the morning walk or take the bus after school.

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0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

< 1/4mile

1/4 to1/2 mile

1/2 - 1mile

1 -1 1/2miles

1 1/2 - 2miles

> 2miles

Da

ily

tr

ips

fr

om

sc

ho

ol


High School Students Car Pool

Drives withother student

Drivesthemselves

Family vehicle

MBTA

School Bus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

18


0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

< 1/4mile

1/4 to1/2 mile

1/2 - 1mile

1 -1 1/2miles

1 1/2 - 2miles

> 2miles

Da

ily

tr

ips

fr

om

sc

ho

ol

Distance from school to home


Drives withother student

Drivesthemselves

Family vehicle

MBTA

School Bus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

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Impacts of current school transportation model

Increased stress on crowded streets and neighborhoods

Decreased air quality

Negative environmental impact

Missed opportunity for active transportation Exercise

Social time

Improved feeling of

well being

Time to think

Better prepared to

learn

Sense of

accomplishment

Independence

20

Assessing sentiment for walkable schools

Parents were asked to rate their feelings on the following statements:

I want to live in a community where most kids walk or bike to school 67% AGREE

I think the City should quickly address structural issues (crosswalks, lights, crossing guards) to make it safer for children to walk to school 84% AGREE

I think the city should enforce the sidewalk snow removal ordinance 84% AGREE

I want the School Committee to make walking to school a priority in establishing school districts 58% AGREE

21

What is the mode shift opportunity?

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000


1/2 - 1 mile > 1 mile

To

tal

Da

ily

Tr

ips


Elementary Students

Car Pool

Familyvehicle

Riding thebus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

22

Mode shift opportunity at the elementary schools

Make walking and biking for students living within ½ mile of school the primary mode of transportation increase from 55% to 70% 820 less daily car trips

Increase biking for students living between ½ mile and 1 mile and some increase in walking increase from 30% to 43% 525 less daily car trips

Increase bus ridership for students who qualify Increase from 40% to 50% 140 less daily car trips

Encourage carpooling and driving part way for those that do drive Increase carpools to 10% 360 less daily car trips

Encourage 20% of car trips drive part way 200 less daily car trips

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-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

< 1/4mile

1/4 to1/2 mile

1/2 - 1mile

1 -1 1/2miles

1 1/2 - 2miles

> 2miles

To

tal

Da

ily

Tr

ips



Familyvehicle

MBTA

School Bus

Biking/Scootering

Walking

24

Mode shift opportunity at the middle schools

Make walking and biking for students living within 1 mile of school the primary mode of transportation increase from 55% to 70% 200 less daily car trips

Increase biking for students living less than 2 miles from school increase from 2% to 8% 130 less daily car trips


Encourage carpooling and driving part way for those that do drive Increase carpools to 6% 120 less daily car trips


25


-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

< 1/4mile

1/4 to1/2

mile

1/2 - 1mile

1 -1 1/2miles

1 1/2 - 2miles

> 2miles

To

tal

Da

ily

Tr

ips



Drives withother studentDrivesthemselvesFamily vehicle

MBTA

School Bus

Biking/ScooteringWalking

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Mode shift opportunity at the high schools

Make walking and biking for students living within 1 mile of school the primary mode of transportation increase from 54% to 78% 360 less daily car trips

Increase biking for students living less than 2 miles from school increase from 3% to 12% 300 less daily car trips


Encourage carpooling and driving part-way for those that do drive Increase carpools to 7% 230 less daily car trips


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Summarizing Mode Shift

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Current After Mode Shift

Car Pool

Drives with otherstudentDrives themselves

Family vehicle

MBTA

School Bus

Biking/Scootering

Walking1,500

1,200

450

3,800

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Mode shift goals by school

School goals

Walking Biking School Bus Vehicle

Elementary Schools

35 families at each school

15 families 5 families 10 families to carpool, 20 families to drive part way

Middle Schools

25 families 30 families 15 families 15 families to carpool, 20 families to drive part way

High Schools 75 families 100 families 50 families 25 families to carpool, 65 families to drive part way

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Estimated Annual Reduction in car trips

Almost 2,000 less car trips per day

Estimated 3,700+ miles per day

180 school days

670,000 miles per year

Achieving this type of mode shift will require motivation for change and the removal of barriers to walking, biking & the bus

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Are parents encouraged to walk & bike?

% that feel their child’s school encourages or strongly encourages walking and biking to school

64% Elementary school

15% Middle School

10% High School

Elementary schools with highest results

Burr, Peirce, Angier, Mason-Rice at 80%

31

What did we hear about conditions along routes to school from families that walk/bike/bus?

Top 5 issues from elementary families whose children walk least some of the time 59% observe unsafe driver behavior

40% have issues with broken or cracked sidewalks

40% observe cars that fail to yield to crossing pedestrians

27% have missing sidewalk sections along the route

25% have faded crosswalks

Issues for middle school and high school families are similar 72% of middle school parents observe unsafe driver behavior

Ranking for other issues is very similar

32

Impact of weather on walking and biking

Elementary

25% of the regular walkers will still walk in the rain, snow or very cold temperatures

Cold temperatures have the biggest impact driving 55% of regular walkers to likely be driven

Middle School+ High School

Only 15% of the regular walkers will still walk in the rain, snow or very cold temperatures

Again cold temperatures have the biggest impact causing over 60% of regular walkers to likely be driven; snow is a close second at 58% likely to be driven

33

What did we hear specifically about snow?

Elementary

89% indicated uncleared sidewalks are an issue

50% of parents responded that uncleared sidewalks along the route cause them to drive to school

Another 39% noted that uncleared sidewalks were an issue but still preferred to walk to school

70% of walking families had issues with snow piles on corners and crosswalks

Middle School & High School

Similiar

34

Bus Ridership

Elementary School

1394 respondents

240 eligible, 125 yes take the bus, 115 do not take the bus

283 do not know if student is eligible

Middle School



High School



35

Why elementary school students don’t take bus

Before-school or

after school activities,

34%

Bus fee too high, 34%

Do not want children on the

bus, 31%

Concerns about the safety of walk to bus stop, 13%

Bus ride is too long, 13%

Bus stop is too far, 11%

Bus comes too early, 8%

36

Why middle school students don’t take bus



Do not want children on the

bus, 27%


Bus stop is too far, 20%

Before-school or after school activities, 11%

Concerns about the safety of walk to bus stop, 11%

37

Why high school students don’t take the bus

My children do not want to be on the

bus, 40%

Before-school or after school

activities, 33%




Bus stop is too far,

17%

Student parking fee more

reasonable than bus fee, 13%

Do not want children on the bus, 6%

Bus leaves school too late, 6% Concerns about the

safety of walk to bus stop, 2%

%

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Evaluation of MBTA usage

Repeat estimated daily ridership numbers Middle School

94 have access to MBTA route 513 no access 168 do not know 52 bus (Parker/Centre St.) is 83% of ridership 59 bus (Walnut St.) is 15%

High School 161 have access to MBTA route 557 no access 133 do not know 59 bus (Walnut St.) is 60% 52 bus (Parker/Centre St.) is 30% of ridership Green line is 13%

Look at key issues faced and any praise

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Summary

High vehicle usage has impact on everyone Quality of life

Environmental

Cost to city of additional vehicle traffic?

Significant opportunity for mode shift

Next steps? Encouragement and information on benefits of more walking

and biking

Infrastructure improvements and better snow clearing necessary to help aid mode shift

Review of bus policies and schedule

Engage key stakeholders in adopting mode shift goals

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SRTS Parent Survey Presentation published

Documents

Transcript of SRTS Parent Survey Presentation published