What can I do to start a Safe Routes to School program at my neighborhood school?

There are a number of practical steps you can take to start a program without great cost. Safe Routes to School programs have taken many forms, so there is no one "formula" for starting, but here are some basic things to consider.

1) Find out what kind of interest there might be in your school community. Safe Routes to School is a collaborative effort and you can’t go it alone. Find out if there is support from the school community – the school administration, the PTA, a neighborhood group, or just a group of interested parents.

2) Find out what transportation around the school is like, particularly at arrival and dismissal times. What modes are kids using to get to school? What are the routes? What are the dangers?

3) Identify your main goals and strategies. Are you looking to improve the safety of kids who are already walking and biking to your school, or are you seeking to increase the numbers who walk and bike to school? Or are you looking to do both? Which of the four "E’s" – engineering, enforcement, education, and encouragement – will you seek to address?

4) Identify possible sources of funding. Local sources may provide limited funding for projects with specific goals. The PTA, for example, might fund a Walk and Roll to School Day event or a minor infrastructure improvement such as a sign or a bike rack. (The Health and Safety Committee Chair is a good place to start.) A local safety group, police department, or bicycle organization might help fund pedestrian or bicycle safety classes. And don’t overlook in-kind support, such as volunteers from the PTA, health organizations, or a bike or walking club to help with Walking School Buses or Bike Trains. A civic association or a group of individuals with an understanding of local government systems might be enlisted to help bring attention to needed traffic enforcement or infrastructure improvements around a school.

5) Think big, but start small! Focus on small, very do-able tasks first, and gain support and momentum as you go. Be persistent -- sometimes it takes a while for the concept to catch on, but once you've accomplished something, folks begin to see what a great idea Safe Routes to School is!

 

Can the Metro Atlanta Safe Routes to School Project help start a program in my neighborhood school?

The Metro Atlanta Safe Routes to School Demonstration Project is limited to four school sites in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. These sites have already been chosen and the project is underway at these schools. However, one of the goals of the project is to develop a guidebook for the state of Georgia that will help others establish Safe Routes to School programs in their areas. The guidebook will be completed in 2007.

 

What kind of funding is available for Safe Routes to School programs?

The latest federal transportation bill allocated $612 million over 5 years for Safe Routes to School programs. Funds will be divided between the states according to their elementary and middle school populations. In Georgia, Safe Routes to School funds will be administered by the Department of Transportation (GDOT). GDOT is currently developing a plan for distribution of that funding. Visit the GDOT State Bicycle and Pedestrian Program web page for updated information http://www.dot.state.ga.us/bikeped/SRTS/index.shtml.

 

What resources are available?

Click here for Safe Routes to School "Tools" developed by our project.

The most comprehensive national resource is the Safe Routes to School Toolkit produced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/Safe-Routes-2002/index.html.

Other helpful websites are:

National Safe Routes to School Clearinghouse: www.saferoutesinfo.org

Marin County Safe Routes to Schools program: www.saferoutestoschools.org

California's Safe Routes to School Initiative: www.dhs.ca.gov/routes2school

National Walk to School Day: www.walktoschool-usa.org

International Walk to School Day: www.iwalktoschool.org

Sustrans Safe Routes to School Program (United Kingdom): www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk

Active and Safe Routes to School (Ontario, Canada): www.saferoutestoschool.ca

Way to Go! Program (British Columbia, Canada): www.waytogo.icbc.bc.ca

You may also find useful information on getting started from the newly formed Safe Routes to School Partnership:
http://bikesbelong.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=294