 BE Tool was created by ICF International through a contract with the CDC.
- Kids are more active when walking and biking are safe, and Safe Routes to School programs can increase safety and active transportation to school.
- Traffic speed and volume and lack of sidewalks are major barriers to active travel to school.
- Active commuting can provide an estimated 16 of the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended for children, as found by a meta-analysis.
- Implementing Safe Routes to School programs has been connected with a 44% reduction in injury rates.
- This infographic summarizes highlights from the research brief “Impact of Safe Routes to School Programs on Walking and Biking” published by Active Living Research in May 2015.
BEST PRACTICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS (2015)
- Collaborative partnerships between schools and communities and multi-level strategies are key components of SRTS programs.
- The review identified benefits, challenges and lessons learned from SRTS partnerships across studies:
- Benefits: “coordination of projects, programs, and policies to avoid duplication; mobilization of partners; builds lasting and trusting relationships; increases credibility and community support; partners bring unique perspectives, which increases knowledge and capacity to problem solve; builds greater sense of community; and provides opportunity for internal and external funding”
- Challenges: “inexperience of volunteers; lack of time for outreach and support; difficulties to integrate programs and policies; lack of staff/volunteers; reactive responses and pushback from the community; lack of and dependence on funding support; loss of credibility; difficulties to maintain partnership; and absent stakeholders slows progress”
- Lessons learned: “communication and consideration of viewpoints; partner with schools early to identify champions and establish support; implement multiple project, program and policies strategies for greater participation; expect slow progress and gradual change; target children for long-term investment; identify key partnership leaders; have strong evaluation components to monitor progress and success; involve partners when relevant to them; build on small success and community response; and collaborate with preexisting groups, including youth groups”
- Data collection methods varied across studies, and tools were often not provided, making it difficult to assess effective evaluation strategies.
- This study conducted a qualitative review of 15 journal articles about Safe Routes to School programs in the U.S. and Canada.
Elementary schools were more than twice as likely to have a walking school bus (WSB) if district and state policies supported safe active transportation than if no such policies were in place.
- The percentage of schools nationally with WSB programs increased from 4.2% in 2008-2009 to 6.2% in 2009-2010.
- Schools were 2.14 times as likely to organize a WSB program if a district policy concerning safe active transport to school was in place than if no policy existed.
- Schools were 2.72 times as likely to have a WSB program if state law required school crossing guards than if no law existed.
- WSB programs were more common in the Northeast (10.9% of schools) and West (7.9%) than in the South (2.9%).
- Rural schools were 73% less likely to implement a WSB program than urban schools.
- Schools with a majority Latino population were 78% times less likely to have a WSB than schools with a majority white population.
- Data was collected through responses to a mail survey from 641 elementary schools in 2008-2009 and 680 elementary schools in 2009-2010.
Turner, L., Chriqui, J.F., & Chaloupka, F.J. (2013).Walking School Bus Programs in U.S. Public Elementary Schools. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 10, 641-645.
Tags: physical education; education; training; bicycle; biking; students; school; safety
- The Bike Smarts skills program incorporated bike skills into elementary and middle-school physical education curriculum to address parents’ safety concerns related to biking and enc