Safe Routes to School

1. Safe Routes to School Using Leadership to Increase Physical Activity and Build Healthy, Sustainable Communities Deb Hubsmith, Director Safe Routes to School National Partnership

2. Safe Routes to School National Partnership • Founded in 2005 to help states and communities advance SRTS • Includes nearly 500 organizations, agencies and schools • Working to change policies at national, state and local levels • Is developing best practices, providing technical assistance and helping to build leadership

3. What is Safe Routes to School? • Goal is to make it safer for morechildren to walk and bicycleto and from school – this increases physical activity before and after school • Seeks to reverse the decline: • In 1969, 48% of children walked or bicycled to school, including 88% of those living within 1 mile • In 2009, only 13% walk or bicycle to school, including just 38% of those within 1 mile • There is $612 million in federal funding available through state Departments of Transportation from FY2005-2009, created in 2005 through the federal SAFETEA-LU transportation bill, plus additional funds provided through the transportation bill extensions.

4. What are the health benefits of SRTS? • SRTS can play an important role in school wellness plans by increasing physical activity: • One-third of all children are now obese, overweight, or at significant risk of becoming so • Lack of physical activity a significant contributor • Students who walk 1 mile to and from school get two-thirds of recommended levels of physical activity • Children who walk to school are more physically active throughout the day • Physically active children tend to have better academic achievement, enhanced concentration, better classroom behavior

5. The Five “Es” of a SRTS Program • Evaluation • Engineering • Education • Enforcement • Encouragement

6. How Do I Start a SRTS Program?Leadership and Collaboration Comes First Buy-in and involvement of a range of partners is critical: • Parents and students • The mayor or city manager • The local transportation department (city publicworks/engineering or region’s MPO) • Local health and police departments • School district transportation officials • School principal and personnel (school nurse, PE teacher) • Community organizations and advocates • Local businesses (including bike shops!) Structure depends on scale: • Individual School Team(s) • City/County/School District-wide Task Force

7. How Do I “Sell” SRTS to Partners?Tailor the Message to your Audience Traffic Safety • 30% of children’s traffic deaths happen while walking/bicycling. • SRTS includes infrastructure upgrades, traffic enforcement, and safety education to improve safety. • Studies of existing SRTS programs show approximately a 50% decrease in child cyclist and pedestrian collisions. Health & Academics • More than 1/3 of children are overweight or obese, and 23% of children get no free-time physical activity. • Children who walk 1 mile to & from school get 40 minutes of physical activity—and are more active throughout the day. • Research links physical activity to better classroom behavior and performance.

8. How Do I “Sell” SRTS to Partners?Tailor the Message to your Audience Environment • Traffic pollution exacerbates asthma, harms children’s lungs. • 1/3 of schools in air quality danger zones. • Schools designed so children can walk/bike have measurably better air quality. Traffic Congestion • 20-30% of morning traffic is parents driving children to school. • Parent vehicles account for half of school trips between ¼ and ½ mile. • SRTS can increase walking/bicycling from 20 to 200%, reducing parent drop-offs and congestion. Cost Savings • 55% of children are bused, costing $17.5 billion each year. • Eliminating 1 bus route saves approx. $37,000 per year—but can worsen congestion and safety without SRTS.

9. The Team is in Place, What’s Next?Assess the Situation and Move into Action Assess the Current Situation • Do parent surveys to identify what parents are concerned about. • Do student tallies to find out how they are coming to school. • Do a “walkability” audit around the school to identify trouble spots. Make needed short-term safety improvements • Ask the city/county to repaint crosswalks, trim branches at intersections, install signage, and prioritize sidewalk repair. • Consider whether crossing guards are in the best locations. • Develop safe alternatives to get kids moving now • Develop “safe walking routes” identifying sidewalks, crosswalks, crossing guards, low-traffic roads. • Organize “walking school buses” or “bike trains” where parents and volunteers escort groups of children on the walk or bike to school.

10. The Team is in Place, What’s Next?Assess the Situation and Move into Action Provide pedestrian/bicycle safety education • Add pedestrian safety lessons into P.E. classes. • Hold “bike rodeos” and bicycle safety courses. Address issues with driver safety • Ask law enforcement to step up patrols or add mobile speed trailers. • Work with the media to ask drivers to drive more safely near schools. Build excitement through small promotional contests/activities • Make it FUN with mileage contests, themed events, punch cards • See if area businesses can donate small prizes or incentives. Keep Evaluating Your Progress • Redo parent surveys and student tallies at the start and end of each school year to measure impact.

11. What about the Long Term?Apply for Federal SRTS Funding Federal SRTS funding is available through state DOTs • Nationally, there is $612 million from FY05-09 • 70-90% of funding is for infrastructure – building sidewalks, bike paths, crosswalks, traffic calming, school zone signage, bike racks. • 10-30% is to support education, promotion, and enforcement. • Funding in most states can support local SRTS coordinators. • Each state is different • Each state DOT sets its own application processes, eligibility, timelines, and criteria. • Get to know your state SRTS coordinator. • For contact information, go to www.saferoutespartnership.org/state/5043. • Your state may have conferences, toolkits, free materials, and planning assistance.

12. State Example: Mississippi • State DOT collaborates closely with the state Dept of Health (MSDH) and state Dept of Education’s Office of Healthy Schools (MDE) on SRTS • Together, they are making children’s health a priority • Incorporated Safe Routes to School in the state’s wellness policy and physical activity standards for schools • Participate in a state-level health policy group funded by the NGA to prioritize children’s health policies • Together, they are equipping health and education professionals with needed resources • MSDH invited the DOT to train health educators in the state’s nine health districts on how to set up SRTS programs; is also producing a guidebook • MDE issued a Health in Action database of free K-8 lesson plans on health—40 specifically on SRTS.

13. Local Example: Flagstaff, AZ • Local county health dept implemented Walk. Bike. Get Fit. SRTS program at 2 elementary schools • Includes pedestrian/bike safety, punch-card incentive programs, personal fitness goals, school grounds walking program • Developed a classroom curriculum for grades 3-6 on the benefits of walking/bicycling, tied into state academic standards on health, science, math & geography • Went from 45 to 110 children walking/bicyclingto school, a 144% increase • Health dept. monitors student progress and has recorded exponential increase in exercise before and during school • Working to institutionalize funding by doubling traffic fines in school zones

14. Will There Be Future SRTS Funding?There’s a Better Chance if You Help Advocate! Congress is working on the next transportation bill • We are advocating to increase SRTS funding to $600 million/year. • Other priorities: adding high schools, addressing regulatory burden, improving research and evaluation. • In the Senate, there is a bipartisan bill:S. 1156, Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act. • In the House, Rep. Oberstar of MN has incorporated many of these provisions in his Surface Transportation Authorization Act. Consider taking action • Write your Senators and ask them to co-sponsor S. 1156 • Invite your Members of Congress to a SRTS event • Sample letters, advocacy tools, and more information is at www.saferoutespartnership.org/national.

15. Leadership Quotes • Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead • Be the change you wish to see in the world – Mahtma Ghandi

16. For More Information • Questions or comments? Contact: Deb Hubsmith, Director Safe Routes to School National Partnership deb@saferoutespartnership.org • Go to www.saferoutespartnership.org for additional resources and to sign up for our monthly newsletter e-news!