Collecting initial information and data on how children get to and from school is integral to any successful Safe Routes to School (SR2S) effort. Before we can determine if and how we need to change behavior, we have to discover why and to what extent children are or are not walking and biking to school.
Useful Tools
Walkability Audits
Evaluating the walking environment: how easy or difficult is it to walk to school? A Walkability Audit can help schools, neighborhoods, and communities assess the physical condition of routes to school and identify key areas for improvement. Check out these resources for performing a walkability audit at your school or neighborhood:
Walk Audit Guidelines (Word)
Walk Audit Request Form (Word)
Walk Audit Checklist (Word)
Walk Audit Invitation and Description (Word)
Walk Audit Flyer (Word)
Surveys
Surveys provide data and references to help plan for the greatest participation and success in Safe Routes to School programs. Surveys are also the easiest way to evaluate a program's effect. Contact the schools to plan with them and determine the best method to disseminate and collect surveys. (Contact the school far ahead of any pre-set distribution date.)
Different surveys emphasize different priorities (e.g. education, enforcement, engineering, etc.). More detailed surveys may require more time to analyze the data. Tailor the survey questions to work for your situation and needs. All of the surveys listed here are available in both English and Spanish. Some of them are available in additional languages as well.
Survey Examples from Around Humboldt County
Humboldt Partnership for Active Living (HumPAL) surveyed several local schools in 2008 using these surveys. Parent Survey in Engllsh (Word) or the Parent Survey in Spanish (Word). See the results for Lincoln and Alice Birney (Word) Elementary Schools in Eureka.
City of Arcata SR2S Survey (PDF).
See the results in the Resources Section.
Additional Resources for Creating Surveys
Contact the Transportation Land Use Coalition (TALC) directly to receive these materials in languages other than English at either (510) 740-3150 or SR2S@transcoalition.org (Word).
Parent Survey
(Word)
Student Survey Instructions (Word)
Student Survey
(Word)
Survey Instructions for Principals
(Word)
The National Center for Safe Routes offers great instructions and survey templates, and will even collate all the data for you in two to four weeks (check out the "Evaluation Section" of their "Resources" page). However, Safe Routes to School programs may choose to administer and collate their own survey data, as the National survey does not address site specific problem areas prohibiting walking or biking to school in their community.