Safe Routes to School as a Transportation Control Measure: Impacts on the Emission Inventory Ignatius Fomunung, Joseph Owino, Mbaki Onyango University of Tennessee Chattanooga August 5, 2015
Outline Introduction Background Data Description Data Analysis Analysis Scenarios Results Conclusions 2
Introduction Clean Air Act and its Amendments (CAAA) and the Conformity Rule CAAA requires nonattainment or maintenance areas to adopt transportation control measures (TCMs) to achieve attainment of NAAQs standards. TCMs include transportation supply improvement strategies and transportation demand management (TDM) strategies 3
Introduction TDM strategies are techniques or programs to reduce demand for Single Occupant Vehicles (SOV) travel. Thus, TDM strategies can improve air quality by decreasing vehicle trips and vehicle miles travelled (VMT) TDM strategies include Promotion of employee trip reduction programs Establishment of auto-free zones No-drive days Park-and-ride programs Ride-sharing, etc 4
SRTS as a TDM The National Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, enacted by Congress in July 2005, was established to improve safety on walking and bicycling routes to school and to encourage children and families to travel between home and school using these modes. By encouraging more students to walk or bike to school, the SRTS program is a TDM strategy because it removes vehicles from the roadway and help reduce VMT, congestion and vehicle related air pollutants. 5
Background The Safe Routes to Schools Program (SRTS) is a Federal-Aid program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Program was created by Section 1404 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users Act (SAFETEA- LU). The SRTS Program was funded at $1.162 billion for Federal fiscal years (FY) 2005-2012 and is administered by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs). 6
Background The purposes of the program are: 1. to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school 2. to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and 3. to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity (approximately 2 miles) of primary and middle schools (Grades K-8). 7
Background Many barriers exist, including safety and security which are the biggest. According to a survey conducted by the national center for Safe Routes to School, 55% of parents cited the number of cars along the route to school as a main reason for not allowing their children to walk or bike to school Many success stories where programs were implemented to reduce traffic volume have been well documented. 8
SRTS Programs That Reduce Traffic Location Alpine, UT: Alpine Elementary Boulder, CO: Beer Creek Elementary Atlanta, GA: Oak Grove Elementary Longmont, CO: Eagle Crest Elementary Marin County, CA: Marin County Schools Windsor, VT: State Street Elementary Pinehurst, NC: Pinehurst Elementary Result Reduction of morning traffic by 59 vehicles 36% reduction in traffic near the school 10% reduction in student dropoff traffic at school 40% reduction in traffic, 60% reduction in students arriving to school by car 13% reduction in traffic near the school 20% reduction in traffic near the school 22% reduction in traffic on Walking School Bus Days 9
Data Description In March 2006, Safe Routes Chattanooga (SRC) received $364,000 in SRTS funds through TDOT which was distributed to seven schools in Hamilton County $334,000 was earmarked for infrastructure improvements such as Sidewalk construction Crosswalk installations, Bicycle racks Traffic controls $30,000 to develop a pedestrian and bicycle safety program for the school district.
Data Description Measurable Impacts of SRTS: Safety improvement: reduction in number of accidents Traffic congestion: reduction in number of vehicles Fuel consumption: smoothing out traffic and reduction in stop and go events Reduction in emissions This work focused on reductions in traffic congestion and emissions.
Data Description The Regional Planning Agency, which administers the SRC program conducted pre-and post evaluation surveys with respect to the infrastructure improvements at the seven schools. The pre-evaluation surveys occurred in 2006, with almost 100 surveys being submitted by the parents from the seven schools. Survey results revealed that parents would encourage their children to participate in SRTS activities as long as their children s safety came first. Traffic volume counts were also taken before and after program implementation
Impacted Schools School Student Population Students within 2 miles of School Traffic Volume Before After Battle Academy 430 172 150 100 Big Ridge Elementary Brown International Academy Chattanooga Middle School Dalewood Middle School Normal Park Museum Middle School Thrasher Elementary 500 300 350 200 465 186 200 165 NA NA NA NA 288 201 200 90 819 450 450 300 500 325 340 210
Public Versus Private School Enrollment Select Cities City Public Private % Public % Private Chattanooga 21,328 9,223 70 30 Nashville 53,364 11,944 82 18 Knoxville 46,305 5,307 90 10 Atlanta 78,792 16,837 82 18 Los Angeles 374,375 48,753 88 12 Salt Lake City 52,745 5,549 90 10 Denver 86,593 13,237 87 13 Orlando 139,119 14,522 91 9
Data Analysis From previous table, the percentage of students enrolled in private schools in Chattanooga is 30% compared to an average of 13% for the cities shown. Chattanooga is located 135 miles west of Nashville; 118 miles south of Knoxville, and 112 miles north west of Atlanta If Chattanooga had a comparable ratio then one would expect the number of students attending public schools to be approximately 26,580 instead of the current 21,328
Analysis MOVES (Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator) is modeling tool developed by the EPA to estimate emissions for mobile sources covering a broad range of pollutants at multiple scales: National, County, and Project. This analysis is the done at the County level Use of the County Scale is required for state implementation plans (SIPs) and regional conformity analyses.
Analysis Scenarios Scenario I: The impact of the total reduction in the number of vehicles achieved for the seven schools on emission reduction is calculated. Scenario II: Assuming that Chattanooga had a distribution of students in public and private schools similar to comparable cities, about 5252 students who now attend private schools would be attending public schools. Some of these students will be converted from using private cars to school bus, walking, and bicycling modes.
Results Reduction in Emissions in kilograms per year Carbon Monoxide (CO) Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) Scenario I 4,935 363 565 Scenario II 11,038 813 1,265 Hydrocarbons (HC)
Conclusions Implementation of SRTS resulted in reduction of traffic in the vicinity of schools with benefits in emission reduction. Even though the reduction in traffic is modest, the accompanying reduction in emissions is disproportionately large because vehicle activities such as idling, stop-and-go episodes, and starts which characterize driving patterns around schools and account for spikes in emissions are also reduced.
Conclusions The encouraging results show that significant environmental benefits can accrue if All public schools in Chattanooga participated in the SRTS programs Since there is no bus system for private schools, the results also indicate that significant reductions in motor vehicle emissions can be achieved if these schools implemented similar SRTS programs. The exact quantities could not be calculated at this time for lack of information about how households with students attending these private schools are distributed geographically.