What is Safe Routes to School?
Safe Routes to School is an international movement creating safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to walk and bicycle to school. Safe Routes to School addresses critical issues related to children’s health, traffic congestion, public safety, and the environment.
Today’s children are less active than those of previous generations, leading to obesity and related health problems.
In addition, parents driving their children to school comprise
20-30% of morning traffic in many U.S. communities.
Increasing the number of people walking and biking to school helps transform these problems.
Safe Routes to School gets people out of their cars and into their neighborhoods, helping them lead healthier, happier lives.
Safe Routes to School
is good for kids, families,
and our communities.
- Increases physical activity
- Promotes healthy lifestyles
- Reduces traffic congestion
- Improves public safety
- Improves the environment
- Creates community partnerships
Sonoma County Bicycle
Coalition can help you:
- Organize a Safe Routes to School Team at your child’s school.
- Give a presentation at your city council or school PTA/Site Council.
- Create a long-range plan to get more children bicycling and walking.
- Survey parents to understand their specific safety concerns.
- Launch a Walk and Roll to School Day at your school.
- Provide downloadable educational materials.
- Organize an “audit” to assess possible routes to school and any obstacles to walking and bicycling.
- Work with your city or the County to apply for funding to improve facilities and education.
Safe Routes to School
works at the community level
and focuses on 5 “E”s
- Evaluation: Assessing neighborhood conditions to determine needs, and measuring the effectiveness of efforts to increase bicycling and walking.
- Education: Teaching parents, students and the community about safe biking, walking, and driving.
- Encouragement: Promoting special events and contests to encourage children and their families to walk or bike to school.
- Engineering: Building infrastructure such as crosswalks, multi-use paths, bike lanes, and sidewalks.
- Enforcement: Ensuring people obey traffic laws, such as yielding to pedestrians and adhering to speed limits.
