SAFE AND ACTIVE ROUTES TO SCHOOL INCORPORATING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTO THE DAILY ROUTINE DAVE JANIS

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SAFE AND ACTIVE ROUTES TO SCHOOLINCORPORATING
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTO THE DAILY ROUTINEDAVE
JANIS
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Photo - What SAAR2S means to kids banner
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History of Safe Routes to School

• Many child pedestrian fatalities in Denmark,
  1970s
• Denmark reduced casualties by more than 80
• Caught on in UK and Canada in the 1990s Bronx,
  NY in 1997

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World Participation Rates
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U.S. Participation Rates
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What Happened?

• Individual barriers to biking and walking to
  school.
• School siting issues.
• Community issues.

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Childrens Health

• Motor vehicle injury is leading cause of death.
• More than 3.8 million afflicted with asthma.
• Excessive weight gain.

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School Siting Issues Generation Ago

• Schools averaged 127 students
• Half of high school kids biked/walked.
• Located in community centers.

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School Siting Issues Today

• Schools average 653 students.
• 40 of high schools have 1500 students.
• Schools located on 10 to 30 acres on community
  fringes.
• Lowest cost construction.

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Community Issues

• Traffic flow
• Abandon buildings
• Illegal behaviors

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Individual Barriers to Biking and Walking to
School

• Long distances 55
• Traffic danger 40
• Adverse weather 24
• Fear of crime danger 18

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Photo Connecting Cul-de-sacs Before
Connecting cul-de-sacs before
school
No connectivity between school and neighborhood
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Photo Bad, narrow street
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Traffic jam at school
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Traffic Danger
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Fear of Crime Danger

• Kidnapping is less than 2 percent of all violent
  crimes against juveniles
• Only 4 percent of all kidnappings occur in school
  vicinities
• About 100 stereotypical kidnappings a year and
  3,200 non-family abductions in the country

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Community Involvement and Sustainability

• Recruit stakeholders.
• Keep it fun.
• Dont make it time consuming.
• Work with the media.
• Promote as good for the entire community.

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Safe and Active Routes to SchoolContributes to
Safe and Healthy Communities by

• Protecting children from traffic death and
  injuries.
• Bringing children better health.
• Eliminating inefficient and unnecessary driving.
• Strengthening neighborhoods.

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Successful Programs IncorporateOne or More of
the Following

• Encouragement
• Education
• Engineering
• Enforcement

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A Successful Program Integrates

• Health
• Fitness
• Traffic Relief
• Environmental Awareness
• Safety

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Gathering Data

• Current biking walking rates.
• Potential biking walking rates.
• Physical barriers to safe or appealing trip.
• Preference or attitudinal barriers to trip.
• Bicycle and pedestrian crashes injuries.

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Gathering More Data

• Traffic law infractions near school.
• Dangerous behavior near school.
• Physical activity level of students.
• Biking/walking behavior in community.
• Air pollution caused by private car trips.

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Measuring Bikeability and Walkability

• Take the trip with a child-decide together.
• Pick a route to a park, school, or friends.
• Bring a checklist.
• Bring a map.
• Make a special note of problem areas.
• Score the rest of your community.

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Walkability Checklist
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Photo MLK Walking Audit
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Photo Good engineering
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Photo Connecting Cul-de-Sacs After
Connecting cul-de-sacs after
School playground
Connector path at the end of a cul-de-sac
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Photo Walking School Bus
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Photo Chalk Marks
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Photo Bike Train
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Photo Park and Stride
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Common Threads

• Community values biking and walking.
• Drivers are educated about their impacts.
• Drivers are alerted about child bikers walkers.
• Children parents understand safety.
• Officials enforce laws.
• Planners address community concerns.
• Streets designed to encourage biking walking.

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Measuring Success

• Behavior of children.
• Behavior of drivers.
• Community facilities.
• Crashes and injuries.
• Community buy-in.
• Environmental quality.

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Success Story Marin County, CA Encouragement
Programs

• Walk or Wheel Wednesdays
• Frequent Rider Mile Contests
• Walking school buses
• Fliers, posters, newsletters
• Media coverage
• Website

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Success Stories Wisconsin and S. Carolina
Rethink Neighborhood Schools

• Through Milwaukees Neighborhood School
  Initiative, city building 6 new schools adding
  on to 19 existing schools, and renovating 15
  existing schools.
• South Carolina eliminating state-mandated acreage
  requirements for new schools.

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Quotes From Around the World

• The school bus driver registered a complaint
  with the superintendent that she was driving an
  almost empty bus.
• Save the planet! Its the only one with
  chocolate.
• Walking and talking with my dad was the best
  bit. We saw two slugs with no homes, but they
  still had their aerials, and someone had dropped
  their apple from their packed lunch. I wish my
  dad could walk with me all the time.
• I think the number of dogs walking with their
  families may have exceeded the number of children
  riding the bus to school this morning.
• I like skipping and I can skip when I walk to
  school.

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Actions of Washington State Legislature

• Safe Routes Legislation requires certain
  elementary schools to develop safe walking route
  map.
• Transportation Funding Allocation Revision was
  based on existence of hazardous walking
  conditions. Can now be used for busing.
• Traffic Safety Near Schools Matching grant
  program for capital projects. Not currently
  funded.

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Programs in Washington

• WSDOT awarded 1M in 2004.
• WSDOT likely to award gt 2.5M in 2005.
• WSDOH awarded grants.
• WTSC awarded grants.
• Federal funding sources.
• Foundations continue to award grants.

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How WRPA Can Get Involved

• Work with schools and community leaders.
• Become team members.
• Promote as another form of recreation.
• Become involved as parents.

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Special Thanks to The Pedestrian and Bicycle
Information Centerfor the Use of
Photographswww.pedbikeinfo.org
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BAW Daves contact infoThe Bicycle Alliance
of WashingtonDave Janisdavej_at_bicyclealliance.org
206.784.7176www.bicyclealliance.org