Safe Routes to School: A Step in the Right Direction

Transcription

1 Safe Routes to School: A Step in the Right Direction Eric Bjorlin Active Transportation Alliance 1

2 Safe Routes to School Programs Make walking and bicycling safer options for getting to and from school Encourage more children to walk and bicycle to school 2

3 Fewer kids are walking and bicycling More parents are driving 1969: 48% walked, 13% driven 2009: 12% walked, 44% driven 3

4 Parents driving account for 15% of morning traffic in Chicagoland Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2010 (Parisi Associates; Melbourne Department of Infrastructure) 4

5 What caused the shift? 5

6 Today, the distance between home and school has lengthened Mega schools Grade centers School consolidation School choice 6

7 It s not just distance K 8 students who live within 1 mile and walk or bike: 1969: 88% 2009: 38% 7

8 Most common barriers to walking and bicycling Long distances 62% Traffic danger 30% Adverse weather 19% Fear of crime, danger 12% Note: Sum of percentages is more than 100% because respondents could identify more than one barrier. (CDC, 2005) 8

9 Traffic danger 9

10 Adverse weather 10

11 Individual community issues Fear of crime (both real and perceived) Abandoned buildings Other reasons 11

12 The consequences of this 12

13 instead of this can be alarming. 13

14 1996 Summer Olympic Games banned single occupant cars in downtown Atlanta Atlanta, GA 14

15 Results of the ban Morning traffic 23% Peak ozone 28% Asthma-related events for kids 42% (Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA], 2001) 15

16 Air quality Measurably better around schools with more walkers and bicyclists (EPA, 2003) Chicago, IL 16

17 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) 17

18 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 18

19 Elements of SRTS programs Education Encouragement Enforcement Engineering Evaluation Lenexa, KS 19

20 Education Teaches safety skills Creates safety awareness Fosters life-long safety habits Includes parents, neighbors and other drivers 20

21 Encouragement Increases popularity of walking and bicycling Is an easy way to start SRTS programs Emphasizes fun 21

22 Enforcement Increases awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists Improves driver behavior Helps children follow traffic rules Decreases parent perceptions of danger 22

23 Engineering Creates safer conditions for walking and bicycling Can influence the way people behave West Valley City, UT 23

24 Evaluation Is the program making a difference? 24

25 Case Studies from Illinois Communities Blue Island Bike Train and Bike Parade Des Plaines Encouragement and Education Champaign Comprehensive SRTS program 25

26 Blue Island: Bike Train Led by local school board member Drops off at 2 different schools 26

27 Des Plaines: Encourage and Educate Encouragement and education efforts led to increased walking and biking Initial excitement dropped, but still an increase 27

28 Champaign-Urbana Comprehensive SRTS Program Variety of partners supporting project Multiple funding sources Photo courtesy of C-U SRTS Project 28

29 Champaign-Urbana Education Mass Transit District Bus Ad Campaign Annual Bike Rodeo 29

30 Champaign-Urbana Encouragement Host Walk to School Days Trained U of I students to lead Walking School Buses during school year Photo courtesy of C-U SRTS Project 30

31 Safe Routes to School The solution? Or merely a bandaid when we really need stiches? Alhambra, CA Phoenix, AZ 31

32 Federal Safe Routes to School Program $978 million to States Funds infrastructure and noninfrastructure activities Requires State SRTS Coordinators Illinois DOT has been allotted approximately $40 million for SRTS Program funding since

33 What happens When the money goes away? After the sidewalk gets built? When the police aren t there to give tickets? After the bike train or walking school bus captains go away? The day after Walk to School Day? 33