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What is Safe Routes to School and how can you get involved?
Simply put, Safe Routes to School is just a whole bunch of tools that you can use to encourage walking and bicycling around schools.For some schools these tools include increased police patrol during school drop off and pick up times. For other schools this it may be a crossing guard program. Other schools may need sidewalks, a bike path or a signalized intersection. In addition to these, tools also include ongoing incentive programs like classroom challenges and one day events like Bike-to-School day.
Your school can do these activities with or without having a formalized Safe Routes to School program and Rideshare has the resources to help you along the way.
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(walking school bus)
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Why promote walking and bicycling to school?
Consider these talking points...
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Preserve our Air
More and more, K-12 students are arriving to school by car instead of taking the bus, walking or biking. Less than half of children between 9 and 15 who live within a mile of their school walk or bike. You might notice when schools in session you experience more congestion. As a matter of fact, 20% of the traffic in the morning has been contributed to parents dropping off their children.
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Increase Safety
50% of children who are hit by cars near schools are hit by cars driven by parents of other students. A successful safe routes to school program encourages less traffic, enforces traffic rules around schools, and educates parents and students about getting to school safely. |
Promote healthy living
One in four preschoolers is overweight in San Luis Obispo County. Promoting walking and bicycling as a way to get to and from school can help to change sedentary behavior.
Air pollution, primarily from motor vehicle exhaust is also extremely damaging to childrens' health. Lung capacity normally increases until the late teens or early twenties and then declines gradually as we age. Damage to lung capacity that occurs during this critical time causes children to have a smaller peak capacity. Reducing traffic really does make a difference. During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, single occupant vehicles were banned downtown. The result? Morning traffic dropped 22% and Asthma related incidences in children dropped 42%.
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Let your kids have fun
There are lots of ways to encourage children and families to make  walking and biking to school fun. Last May and June parents and community agencies gathered to develop the first Safe Routes Days at Hawthorne Elementary in San Luis Obispo. Their efforts were a huge success; 61% of the students arrived by biking, walking, skating or carpooling with other students. Find out more about their program. Harloe Elementary School in Arroyo Grande had a Walking School Bus from nearby Fair Oaks Park. The lead up to the event included a "name the Walking School Bus" contest.
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Learn More
There are many local, state, and national organizations devoted to getting kids and families out of cars and into a healthier lifestyle.
Links to some of these programs are listed here.
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The National Center for Safe Routes to School is the clearinghouse for Safe Routes information. You can find presentations, curriculum, a library of case studies, and more. This is an amazing resource! www.saferoutesinfo.org |
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The League of American Bicyclists is one of the oldest bicycle advocacy groups in the country. It was founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880 and has over 40,000 members. It has a long history of working to improve road conditions for all users. The League has over 40,000 members. www.bikeleague.org |
he California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) offers information about Safe Routes to School Grants on their website. There are two types of grants: Federal and State. Caltrans has information about them both, as well as information about safe routes to school in general. California Department of Transportation |
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International Walk to School Day is October 7th, 2009. Visit this website to see which countries participate in the walk to school day. Go to the United States site and find resources to promote international walk to school day at your school. They have downloadable logos, media kits, banners, and more. International Walk to School Day |
Marin County is home to the longest running Safe Routes to School program in the state. This project was the pilot that inspired and informed the Safe Routes to School grant and program that we use in San Luis Obispo County. Marin County Safe Routes to School |
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The San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition is a great local resource. This membership driven organizations helps influence decision-makers and provides programs such as the Farmers' Market Bike Valet and Bike Education classes.
San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition |
