According to the Federal Program Guidance on Safe Routes to School:
Infrastructure projects constructed with these funds [federal aid funds] must be accessible to persons with disabilities, per the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) at 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix A, as enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice and FHWA, and as required under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Though some Safe Routes to School programs have to address safety problems first, most programs ultimately aim to increase walking and bicycling among students. Some programs yield a greater response than imagined; others start out by showing great promise, but end up not reaching their goals.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School, in an effort to better understand what factors might contribute to increases in walking and bicycling, examined programs for elements linked to measured walking and bicycling outcomes.
This study explores how school-level dynamics that underlie the planning and implementation of SRTS programs relate to the percentage of students who walk and bicycle between home and school.
Shifting Modes: A Comparative Analysis of Safe Routes to School Program Elements and Travel Mode Outcomes identifies the following four key factors that successful SRTS programs share:
Register by May 31 for the third Safe Routes to School National Conference, August 16 - 18, 2011, in Minneapolis and take advantage of a $50 early bird registration discount!
Whether you're new to Safe Routes to School or have experience to share, you're invited to attend this dynamic conference, advance your important work and build the connections - in your schools, streets and communities.
Kids on Wheels documents the 2011 pilot year of Bike ED, a bicycle education program at all nine public elementary schools in Fayetteville, Arkansas conducted by the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks with a grant from Arkansas Safe Routes to School. Produced by Dan Dean and Ekaterina Romanova.
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.
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.
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.
