As over 3,500 Walk to School Month celebrations come to an end this October, many communities across the country are considering establishing programs to encourage safe walking and bicycling to school on their campuses. Why not take a few tips from the playbook of one of the nation’s top programs?
Community problems & solutions
Getting Results: SRTS Programs That Reduce Traffic
Communities initiate Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs for a variety of reasons. In an attempt to reduce the barriers for students to walk and bicycle to school, some programs focus on reducing traffic congestion and the number of cars around schools.
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Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum Teachers Guide
The Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum, developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teaches and encourages pedestrian safety for students grades Kindergarten through 5th Grade. It is organized into five lessons: walking near traffic, crossing streets, crossing intersections, parking lot safety, and school bus safety. Each lesson builds upon previous set of skills learned.
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Safe Routes to School and Health: Understanding the Physical Activity Benefits of Walking and Bicycling to School
Walking and biking are two of the easiest ways to be active. The National Center has prepared a new research-based resource that specifically looks at the potential physical activity benefits of a SRTS program and describes strategies for measuring those benefits.
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Safe Routes to School Noteworthy Practices Guide: A Compendium of State SRTS Program Practices
In 2005, the United States Congress established the national Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program in Section 1404 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Through a combination of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation strategies, the program was developed to address traffic safety, traffic congestion and air quality issues around schools, while also acknowledging the health benefits of active school travel.
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Pierre, South Dakota: Walk to School Day Event
Introduction
Pierre, S.D., is a rural town with approximately 13,000 residents. One of its local elementary schools, Jefferson Elementary School, has more than 400 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. In 2003, the Jefferson Elementary Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) wanted to implement a program designed to encourage healthy behavior in the students. The PTA decided that yearly Walk to School Day events would be the best encouragement program for the students.
Save the Date: Safe Routes to School National Conference to be Held in Minneapolis Aug. 16-18, 2011
The City of Minneapolis, Minnesota was chosen through a competitive application process as the location for the 3rd Safe Routes to School National Conference in 2011. The conference will take place Aug. 16-18, 2011 and is being hosted by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The 2nd Safe Routes to School National Conference, held in Portland, Oregon in August 2009, had more than 500 participants in attendance and was a resounding success.
Call for Applications: 2010 Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award
The National Center needs your help spreading the news — applications are now being accepted for the 2010 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award. The 2010 Award will recognize outstanding achievement by a school or community in conducting a SRTS program that has greatly improved the safety or increased the number of elementary and/or middle school students walking and bicycling to school.
Getting There Together: A Message from the Director
Spring has sprung in Chapel Hill and we're well on our way to an exciting 2010.