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A new movement is emerging that is focused on getting kids back on their
feet and on bikes. Neighborhood groups, traffic engineers, local
officials, and in some cases state DOTs are working together to make
streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists along school routes, while
encouraging both parents and their kids to take advantage of the many
benefits of getting around on foot or by bike. With new interest from
transportation professionals, public health advocates, neighborhood
improvement groups and local elected officials, communities all across
the United States are discovering the many benefits of providing “Safe
Routes to School.”
The common goal of all
Safe Routes to School programs is to make walking or biking to school a
safe and valued activity for children. However, the name ‘Safe Routes
to School’ covers a wide variety of programmatic approaches.
This report is designed to inventory and clarify the different
approaches used in Safe Routes to School programs.
We have identified four primary models:
Engineering
model
The
Engineering model focuses on changes to the pedestrian and bicycle
environment to promote safety, such as crosswalks, expanded sidewalks,
traffic calming, and bicycle lanes and paths. For example, the Phoenix,
Arizona Department of Transportation alleviated unsafe pedestrian hot
spots with sidewalk expansions at traffic lights, crosswalks, and
speed-reduction measures near schools.
Enforcement
The
Enforcement model uses police enforcement of traffic laws around schools
to change driver behavior that may endanger schoolchildren, such as
speeding and reckless driving. Enforcement programs are often
implemented as short-term fixes after a child pedestrian fatality.
Encouragement/Education
The
Encouragement/Education models work with schoolchildren and their
parents directly to foster interest and enthusiasm about walking to
school, as well as promoting safe bicycling and walking behavior. Some
Encouragement/Education programs also use the community outreach process
to identify facilities needs.
Dedicated
Resource model
The
Dedicated Resource model is based on legislation that directs
significant funding to Safe Routes to School programs at the local
level. The California legislature passed a bill in 1999 that required
$20 million of a $160 billion state transportation budget to go to
pedestrian and bicycle safety projects. Funding requests from local
governments exceeded $130 million, demonstrating the need for greater
resources for safe routes.
Combined
approaches are most effective
Creating
a truly safe route to school requires a combination of engineering,
encouragement and education, and dedicated resources.
For example, in California, the dedicated resource provided by
the state for infrastructure helps support and energize local programs
based on the encouragement/education model.
Conversely, both encouragement and engineering programs can help improve
implementation of the dedicated resources model, by boosting community
participation in selection of areas that need funding.
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