What is "Safe Routes to School"?
History
"Safe Routes to School" is a phrase that now describes a movement. Originating in a national program in Denmark in 1976, Safe Routes to School spread internationally. The U.S. had its first modern program in the Bronx, New York, in 1997, and California's State-legislated program began in 1999. Formally, in the United States, Safe Routes to School is the name for both a federally and a state funded program. In California these programs are administered by Caltrans. Additional detailed information and applications are available in the Apply for SR2S Funding section of this toolkit.
Currently, Safe Routes to School stands for a whole movement that includes schools, students, teachers, administrators, parents, neighbors, planners, engineers, police, crossing guards, and bus drivers, as well as local, state, and national governments. Safe Routes to School programs educate and encourage children to walk, roll (by wheelchair, bike, scooter, or skateboard), and bus to school. It can help create safer streets and promote healthier lifestyles for children and community members alike. It's a unique program that integrates safety, positive health, active living and transportation, traffic relief, equity, and ecological awareness into schools and communities.
Current Conditions
More and more children are being driven to school instead of walking or biking- in fact, 20-25% of morning traffic is caused by parents driving their children to school, and only 13% of U.S. children walk or bike to school. In Humboldt County 66% of children are driven to school by car. While children may not be able to walk or bike everywhere, getting them to propel themselves to school is achievable and can have positive impacts on their health and their community. Not only can safe routes to schools encourage more active lifestyles, they can also provide traffic relief in congested areas, thus creating safer biking and walking environments - as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.
Successful Safe Routes Efforts in Humboldt County
Building a Movement Throughout the County
There are many approaches to developing and sustaining fun, safe, successful programs that teach children traffic safety and create kid-friendly transportation environments. The following sections in this toolkit can help administrators, teachers and school staff, parents, health and engineering professionals, and other active county residents create safe routes programs in our communities.
Equity and Ecology
Safe Routes to School can promote equity by encouraging all members of a community to walk, bike, skate, and bus to school, as well as by investing in projects that will help them do so safely regardless of socio-economic status. Programs can positively impact the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and dependence on oils (fossil fuels), and by increasing children's awareness and appreciation of the outdoors.
Education and Encouragement
Children can learn important safety skills and health lessons through safe routes to schools. This section provides curriculum, educational activities, incentives, and best practices for teachers, school staff and administrators, and parents. We can encourage children to walk, skate, or bike to school with incentives such as events and contests facilitated by school staff or parents.
Enforcement
Local law enforcement can work with schools to ensure drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists know and follow the rules of the road. This section provides activity ideas, examples of successful collaborations with law enforcement, and links to laws pertaining to bicycle and school zone safety.
Engineering
Physical improvements to streets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure surrounding schools can create safer wheel-chairing, walking, biking, and skating environments. This section
provides resources for working with Public Works Departments and reference documents for assessing and improving routes.
Evaluation
An important component of any Safe Routes to School effort is information gathering. Walkability audits identify the physical environment around schools and in neighborhoods that either hinder or help children walk or roll to school. Parent and student surveys collect data on how children currently get to school; where the hazardous areas are along their routes; and/or why parents prefer one mode of transportation over another. Most of the materials are available in a variety of languages and are adaptable to an area's specific needs.
High School Resources
While early Safe Routes programs focused on elementary school aged children local efforts recognize the important role high school students can play as role models and mentors. Decisions about modes of transportation are seminal to many teenagers' lives and this section contains materials to facilitate discussions and build them into the state curriculum standards.
Administrators, Staff, and Teachers
School administrators, teachers, and staff all have distinct responsibilities in creating safe routes to Humboldt County schools which are delineated and supported with resource materials in this section.
Resources
This section is a compendium of the resources disbursed throughout the toolkit as well as a few lengthier background studies which provide the academic underpinnings for this work.
Apply for SR2S Funding
The Safe Routes application, supporting documents, and contact information are provided here.