Safe Routes Matters, February/March 2007

In this Issue:

Walking School Buses Can Make the Grade!

As more and more parents began dropping their kids off at the doorstep, walking to school has become a thing of the past. There are many reasons parents can site for making the choice to drive their kids to school – it is safer than walking across a busy highway, the school is too far away, concern for the child’s personal safety – the list could go on. Yet, as the consequences of an inactive lifestyle are mounting, communities and parents are exploring new and innovative ways to get kids to be more active. In the search to make walking to school safer, more fun and convenient, walking school buses are certainly making the grade.

What is a Walking School Bus?

A walking school bus is a group of children who walk to school accompanied by at least one adult. It is just that simple. There are many combinations of walking school buses – it can be as simple as two neighboring families who take turns walking each other’s children to school. Or it can grow to be a structured, well-planned program with a larger group of children and trained volunteers.

The Right Fit

Walking school buses have incredible benefits for both children and parents, but they are not for everyone. It is a good idea to first determine if a walking school bus fits the lifestyle of the family and is an option that is good for the family. Also take into account the characteristics of the community. For instance, if most kids don’t live within walking distance to their school, a walking school bus program may not increase the number of kids able to participate unless a specific parking area has been identified in order for parents and volunteers to park and walk the rest of the way. Thirdly, weigh traffic conditions. A walking school bus shouldn’t be established until poor traffic conditions have been addressed. However, if there are children who have to walk to school in those conditions, a trained volunteer can be a great way to increase safety for the kids. In order to help a family evaluate the option of a walking school bus, take into account just a few of the ways in which the program can benefit children, families, the school and the community as a whole:

Benefits for Children
  • Have fun
  • Learn pedestrian safety with adult guidance & supervision
  • Foster healthy habits that could last a lifetime
  • Gain a sense of independence
  • Arrive at school alert and ready to learn
Benefits for Parents
  • Meet other families
  • Save gas not driving to and from school
  • Have concerns addressed, such as traffic, personal safety and distance
Benefits for Volunteers
  • Enjoy physical activity
  • Meet other families
  • Provide a service to schools and communities
Benefits for Schools
  • Reduce traffic congestion around schools
  • Have students who arrive on time and alert
Benefits for the Community
  • Travel with fewer cars on the road
  • Enjoy less air pollution
  • Learn that walking is a viable transportation option

Safety First

The most vital component to the walking school bus is the safety of the participants. Safety doesn't just address the route itself, but a program initiator must consider the number of adults vs. children, as well. Things to keep in mind when evaluating safety are:

Route
  • Choose sidewalks or paths wherever possible, even if the trip will take a little longer.
  • Minimize the number of street crossings and avoid busy, high-speed or multi-lane roads.
  • Take notice if you see drivers yielding to walkers and driving at safe speeds. Those may be better roads to walk.
  • Find a route that avoids potential problems such as loose pets, criminal activity, vacant buildings and poor lighting.
Adult Supervision (recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • One adult per three children ages 4 to 6
  • One adult per six children for older elementary kids ages 7 to 9
  • Fewer adults may be necessary for children 10 and older

It is critical that pedestrian safety skills be reviewed or taught to adults and children alike. Safe walking behaviors can easily be taught in many circumstances, such as one-on-one training with an adult and child, or an organized training class can be formed.

Choosing a Program Structure

A walking school bus program can be formal or informal – there is not a designated list of rules one has to follow in order to start a program. Ultimately, the structure of the program will depend on the community's interests, goals and available resources. In some cases, it may be easier to take a simple approach, allowing for a much quicker start-up. For example, a parent may contact neighboring parents to gauge interest. A route would be designated and tested by adults. As a group, decide how often to walk together, and begin the walking school bus! To reach more kids, it may be necessary to make it more formal.

Whichever style is chosen, walking school buses are a great way to positively impact a child’s health and well being, while helping children walk safely to school.

For more information on starting a Walking School Bus, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/guide/walking_school_bus/index.cfm

Walk to School Events Show Spread of SRTS Programs

Following 2006 International Walk to School events, the National Center for Safe Routes to School conducted a follow-up survey of Walk to School event organizers who were registered on the USA Walk to School Web site. Information gathered from registration and completed surveys revealed that Safe Routes to School programs are spreading across the country thanks in part to the work of federally funded State SRTS programs.

Walk to School Day and Month, celebrated in October, highlight both the benefits and any barriers for children walking to school. Over one-half (52%) of events were part of longer-term promotions to encourage walking and bicycling throughout the year. Specifically, 46% of events were part of Safe Routes to School programs.

While many organizers have held events in the past, 10% of organizers indicated that they learned about Walk to School events from their State SRTS Coordinator. Some organizers also mentioned that the State SRTS Coordinator or Department of Transportation helped support their event in some way. Communities that hold Walk to School events appear to be both leading the way in taking action to make it safe and appealing for children to walk and bicycle to school every day and benefiting from State SRTS programs.

To access the full report, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/online_library/details.cfm?id=1141.

Safe Routes Snapshots: Kentucky

Safe Routes Snapshots provides a brief profile of a Safe Routes to School state or local program that highlights a particular success or issue the program faced. To submit an idea for Safe Routes Snapshots, please email news@saferoutesinfo.org.

Kentucky creates buy-in for SRTS at the top

When the Kentucky Safe Routes to School program wanted to get the attention of state-level officials for their program, they didn't stop until they got to the top. Kentucky’s Governor and First Lady Ernie and Glenna Fletcher rallied their support for the program through promotional opportunities and public appearances to raise the awareness of the program throughout the state.

"Kentucky's first lady has done a lot for literacy and promoting healthy and active lifestyles through the Get Healthy Kentucky initiative in our state, so we were able to integrate her cause into the Safe Routes to School program," said Kentucky Safe Routes to School Coordinator Morgan Wilson.

The Kentucky program created bookmarks that encourage Kentucky's children to "Get active and help the environment.” The bookmark features a caricature of the Governor and First Lady walking to school with a couple of children. On the back of the bookmark, children are challenged to answer a few trivia questions about physical activity and safety. Children are able to find the answers along with other activities on the Safe Routes to School program Web site. The bookmarks are distributed at schools across the state and are also distributed at the Capitol Building during school field trips.

When grants were awarded for the Kentucky program, the Governor was on hand to present the grant recipients their Safe Routes to School funding. In one day alone, the Governor conducted 12 check presentations to award the grant recipients their funding.

Governor Fletcher also showed his support for Safe Routes to School during the month of October by signing a proclamation declaring October as Walk to School Month in the state of Kentucky.

For tips on involving public officials in your Safe Routes to School program, please visit
www.walktoschool.org/getstarted/officials.cfm.

Safe Routes to School Program Tracking Brief: February 2007

The National Center for Safe Routes to School has released the February 2007 Program Tracking Brief. This monthly report is prepared by the National Center for Safe Routes to School to provide information about state Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. Each month, a different snapshot and brief analysis of one key trend across all state programs is presented.

Highlights from the February 2007 report include:

  • During the first two months of 2007, state-announced grants to local programs increased 35% ($13.8 million to $18.7 million) and the number of schools participating in SRTS activities increased 38% (285 to 394)
  • 19 states have announced funding for SRTS programs

To access the complete report, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/resources/status-reports.cfm

Featured Resource: NCSRTS Six Month Report

Increasing a child's ability to walk and bike to school became a national priority when legislation was signed into law August 2005 that provides funding for Safe Routes to School programs. This legislation also paved the way for the establishment of a national organization to assist programs across the country. Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School recognized the immediate need for quality information and set an ambitious start-up agenda. This report covers work performed by the National Center for Safe Routes to School between May 2006 and December 2006.

To access the report, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/resources/center-reports.cfm

News Briefs

Safe Routes to School Task Force Holds First Meeting

The National Safe Routes to School Task Force held its first meeting on January 11, 2007 in Washington, DC. During the meeting, the 17 members discussed and brainstormed potential national strategies for the Safe Routes to School National Program and discussed the elements of the Task Force Report that will be completed later this year.

The U.S. Department of Transportation established the National Safe Routes to School Task Force, which includes leaders in health, transportation, and education as well as representatives from state government, local agencies and non-profit organizations. The Task Force will study and develop a strategy for advancing Safe Routes to School programs nationwide and will be responsible for submitting to the U.S. DOT Secretary a report for Congress detailing the results of their work.

For the agenda, minutes and supporting documents from the first National Safe Routes to School Task Force meeting, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/task_force/task_force_meetings.cfm

Announcement of Safe Routes to School Mini-Grant

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has funded the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA) to administer a mini-grant program to assist public health professionals to develop a model of how public health professionals can utilize Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) training to strengthen local partnerships and bring together the various organizational entities needed to create successful SRTS programs that are institutionalized within the school system.

The mini-grant project period will be one year beginning in June 2007. Letters of intent are due on March 15, 2007, and the Request for Proposals (RFP) deadline is April 10, 2007. The RFP can be found on STIPDA’s Web page at www.stipda.org. Please contact Michelle Wynn at the STIPDA office (770-690-9000 or Michelle.Wynn@stipda.org) should you have any questions.

Safe Routes to School National Partnership Hires New Key Staff

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership, hosted by the Bikes Belong Foundation, has hired two new staff members—Robert Ping as state network manager and Kathy Gutowsky as program associate. With funding support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Bikes Belong Coalition, Ping and Gutowsky will join the Partnership in advancing Safe Routes to School (SRTS), a $612-million federal program designed to create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for U.S. children to walk and bicycle to and from schools.

For more information, please visit bikesbelong.org/page.cfm?PageID=385

SRTS in the News

Planning a pedestrian-friendly city
www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-walkingcity1mar12,1,1999826.story?coll=la-health-fitness-news
Los Angeles Times
March 12, 2007
Cleveland students get pumped on way to school
www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1173066921318410.xml&coll=7
The Oregonian
March 5, 2007
Mn/DOT receives more than 100 grant proposals
www.hibbingmn.com/dailytribune/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=210781
Hibbing Daily Tribune
February 26, 2007
Lessons in leg power
www.startribune.com/462/story/1014772.html
Minneapolis Star Tribune
February 20, 2007
Solving the Public Health Crisis with Smarter City Planning
www.planningreport.com/article/1223
The Planning Report
February 2007
Bike paths: A step in right direction
www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/02/16/opinion/commentary/doc45d46b4939261538883430.txt
Napa Valley Register
February 16, 2007
Sidewalks to benefit school children
www.chicoer.com/oroville/ci_5238466
Enterprise-Record
February 16, 2007
A few blocks isn't too far to walk to school
www.roanoke.com/editorials\wb/104054
Roanoke Times, VA
February 10, 2007

For more news stories relating to Safe Routes to School, please visit the NCSRTS News Room at www.saferoutesinfo.org/news_room/

Safe Routes Matters is a free, online publication of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. No permission is needed to reprint from articles, but attribution is requested. To submit article ideas to Safe Routes Matters, please email news@saferoutesinfo.org.