The 2002 Summary of Safe Routes to School Programs in the U.S.



Overview of Current Safe Routes to School Programs

The desire to reduce pedestrian injuries, restore childhood mobility, improve basic health, and reduce automobile traffic near schools have inspired a wide variety of programs that share the name "Safe Routes to School".  Safe Routes to School projects have emerged from concerned communities around the country, sometimes under different names.  They have often been inspired by the experiences of similar programs in other countries. This paper includes details and contact information for a sampling of programs in the U.S.

Several components must come together to create a Safe Routes to School program. Program activities can generally be grouped under these four broad approaches:

·         The Dedicated Resource Model

·         The Engineering Model

·         The Enforcement Model

·         The Encouragement/Education Model

Most programs focus on one model, but use elements of other models for a holistic approach. This discussion highlights the differences between the models in order to help proponents of Safe Routes think methodically about what they are doing, and why they are doing it. This means distinguishing between Ends and Means — or Goals and Methods.  For instance, traffic calming is a method; the goal is reducing child crashes around schools, and encouraging cycling and walking. 

The Dedicated Resource Model

The Dedicated Resource Model centers on a policy mandate to fund local Safe Routes to School programs. The best example of the Dedicated Resource Model is California’s legislation dedicating one third of the federal Surface Transportation Safety set-aside to local Safe Routes to School programs. Funding a range of well thought out Safe Routes projects at the local level encourages innovation in engineering, education and enforcement campaigns to change reckless motorist behavior. Funding is the basis of Engineering, Enforcement, and Education/Encouragement programs.

For advocates, creating dedicated resources for Safe Routes to School programs is probably the biggest bang per advocacy resources invested. A handful of advocates in California won $20 million a year for local Safe Routes programs. This is an extraordinarily effective way of using limited time and resources. 

Program Goals

1.       Create a guaranteed level of federal or state funding for local engineering, education and enforcement programs to provide a safer pedestrian environment around schools.

2.       Change motorist behavior, especially speeding and reckless driving near schools.

3.       Reduce child pedestrian and cycling crashes, and encourage cycling and walking to schools throughout the state.

Program Methods

1.       Create legislation at federal, state or local level guaranteeing significant levels of funding for Safe Routes programs, generally focused on facilities.

2.       Win funding, without legislation, from existing safety and transportation funds. (Examples are federal 402 safety funds and federal Transportation Enhancement funds.)

Public and Governmental Participation and Funding

1. Must eventually include the active support of state or local elected officials or government agencies, including effective implementation plans.
2. Can be initiated by civic groups, advocates, schools or government agency.
3. Likely to involve extensive coalition building among a broad list of proponents from health, education, safety, public interest and local government organizations.
4. Government Funding Level: (Very High) Generates funding for other projects.

Advocacy Requirements

1. Advocacy Funding Level to successfully initiate: (High) $75,000 for legislation. As low as $5,000 for 402 safety grants.
2. Advocacy Experience Needed for legislation: (Very High) Extensive organizing experience.
3. Advocacy Experience Needed for 402 and other readily identifiable safety funds: (Moderate).

Scale

Most suitable for federal, state, city or county level. Could be implemented on regional, big, small city or local levels with large government commitment.

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The Engineering Model

Overview and Background

The Engineering Model is fundamentally based on providing safe facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, and changing the behavior of motorists through changes in street design.  This model can be coupled with increased enforcement, especially of speed limits, and increased safety education for motorists — for instance “Kill Your Speed Not a Child” marketing. Many engineering based programs also employ education and enforcement strategies.

In 1978, the town of Odense in Denmark launched “Safe Routes to School” to combat a child fatality rate that was the highest in Western Europe. The Odense project included an extensive, and carefully crafted community planning process. The process was based around surveying parents and children and consensus building sessions. The goal of the planning was to generate new ideas and solutions. More subtly, it was intended to win community agreement for the kind of major traffic calming engineering needed to significantly reduce crashes around schools. It worked. Within a year of the redesign of streets around schools using speed humps, traffic circles, and wider sidewalks, child pedestrian crashes in small town Odense plummeted from 10 to 2 a year.

Safe Routes to School in Britain, Germany, Holland, the Bronx (NY), and Arlington (VA) are examples of the Engineering Model for Safe Routes.

Program Goals

1. Measurably reduce crashes, injuries and deaths involving child pedestrians or cyclists near schools.
2. Create congenial and safe walking and/or cycling routes on primary travel corridors to and from schools so as to measurably increase the share of children walking and cycling to school.

Program Methods

PRIMARY

1.       Use changes in the physical environment near schools — primarily traffic-calming engineering — to slow motor vehicle speeds, and reduce the exposure of child pedestrians to turning and backing vehicles.

SECONDARY/OPTIONAL

1. Use community-based planning techniques to create consensus on facility improvements.
2. Include Walking School Bus, group rides and other public events to increase political and community support for constructing traffic calming and pedestrian improvements.
3. Include increased police traffic enforcement.

Public and Governmental Participation and Funding

o        Can be initiated by civic groups, advocates, schools or government agencies.

o        Must eventually include the active participation and funding of transportation agency.

o        Government Funding: (High) $100,000 minimum capital and planning cost per school.

Advocacy Requirements

o        Project Funding Level: (High) $50,000 advocacy funding level to successfully initiate.

o        Advocacy Experience Needed: (High) experienced advocacy and organizing experience

Scale

Most suitable for city or county level.

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The Enforcement Model

Overview and Background

Numerous police departments across the country have child traffic safety campaigns. Some are called Safe Routes to School. Typically the police use crash maps to find schools with the highest number of children struck by cars. Police enforcement is assigned accordingly. Many enforcement campaigns also include police visits to schools where children are educated on safe cycling and walking and given safety literature and prizes. Enforcement campaigns are often a short term response to community anger after children are killed and injured. More effective campaigns are usually part of a broader, sustained traffic enforcement strategy.

Program Goals

1.       Reduce child pedestrian and cycling crashes.

Program Methods

PRIMARY

1.       Change motorist behavior through increased traffic enforcement.

2.       Increased police traffic enforcement; especially during school hours. Typically less than one month in duration.

SECONDARY/OPTIONAL

a.       Educate children and parents in safer cycling and walking practices. Modify child and parent behavior to improve cycling and walking safety. Ironically, this some times results in discouraging children cycling and walking due to the severe nature of police traffic safety information.

b.       Can include media campaign with “Get Tough” message to motorists.

Public and Governmental Participation and Funding

1.       Must include some commitment by police department or highest level of political support.

Advocacy Requirements

1. Advocacy Funding Level to successfully Initiate: (Low) $2,500.
2. Advocacy Experience Needed: (Medium to low)

Funding Requirements

1.      Employs existing police resources. Unknown opportunity cost.

Scale

Most suitable for city or county level.

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The Encouragement/Education Model

Overview and Background

Encouragement and Education programs focus on altering the attitudes and behavior of children, often with outreach to parents and guardians as well.

Encouragement campaigns are the cheapest, quickest and easiest way for non-government organizations to direct public and political attention to walking and cycling to school.  Encouragement typically takes the form of Walking School Buses, group rides, contests and special events.  These can be accompanied by marketing and behavioral change methods ranging from coloring books and prizes for kids, to street fairs,  meetings and brochures targeting parents.  It is often easier to get volunteers to help out for a special event or even once a month for a Walk to School day, than to get people to do it daily or even weekly.   Encouragement campaigns can be developed into a consensus building and marketing tools to win increased community, political and governmental support for traffic calming and increased police enforcement and engineering changes.

Education programs are similar to Encouragement programs, but have a stronger focus on changing the individual behavior of children.  These tend to be public safety campaigns that focus on harm reduction techniques, such as helmet usage  Although the programs could include information on pedestrian safety, typically the programs focus on bicycling.  

Program Goals

PRIMARY

1. Encourage walking and cycling to school. Could be measurable increases.
2. Educate children about safe walking and bicycling practices.

SECONDARY

1. Win safer walking and cycling corridors at some point in future.

Program Methods

PRIMARY

1.       Walking School Buses, group bicycling and a variety of encouragement literature targeted at children and their parents.

2.       Certified instructors or volunteers give classroom sessions on bicycle and pedestrian safety, health and environment.

SECONDARY/OPTIONAL

1. Public awareness campaign and outreach to press, community and political leaders.

Public and Governmental Participation and Funding

1. Can include the active participation of and funding from government agencies.
2. Can be initiated and conducted by civic group, advocates, school or government agency.
3. Governmental participation can include police officers as part of the training process.
4. Government funding: Not required. Could be millions of dollars for comprehensive campaign.

Advocacy Requirements

1. Encouragement. Advocacy Funding Level to successfully initiate: (Low) $5,000.
2. Encouragement. Advocacy Experience needed: (Low)
3. Education. Funding for training and volunteers: (Medium) around $100,000.
4. Education. Funding for instructors and organized activities: (Medium-Low) $50,000.
5. Education. Advocacy experience needed: (High) Knowledge of safety and curriculum requirements.

Scale

Most suitable for city or county level. Could be implemented on  regional, big, small city or local levels with large government commitment.

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