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Impact of the Safe Routes to School Program on Walking and Bicycling

Author

Listed:
  • Noreen C. McDonald
  • Ruth L. Steiner
  • Chanam Lee
  • Tori Rhoulac Smith
  • Xuemei Zhu
  • Yizhao Yang

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Increasing walking and bicycling to school has been a national policy goal since Congress created the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. While previous research has suggested positive program impacts, there have been no large-scale studies with strong research designs. Here we study 801 schools in the District of Columbia, Florida, Oregon, and Texas to assess how the proportion of students walking and bicycling to school changed after the introduction of SRTS programs. By including schools with and without SRTS programs and analyzing data collected over time (2007-2012), we are able to distinguish SRTS impacts from secular trends. We find increases in walking and bicycling after schools implemented SRTS programs. Engineering improvements are associated with an 18% relative increase in walking and bicycling, and the effects of education and encouragement programs are cumulative. Over the course of five years, these education and encouragement programs could lead to a 25% relative increase in walking and bicycling. Takeaway for practice: Planners should work to prioritize capital improvements that improve non-motorized access to school and revise comprehensive plans and subdivision regulations to ensure that new development supports access to school.

Suggested Citation

  • Noreen C. McDonald & Ruth L. Steiner & Chanam Lee & Tori Rhoulac Smith & Xuemei Zhu & Yizhao Yang, 2014. "Impact of the Safe Routes to School Program on Walking and Bicycling," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 80(2), pages 153-167, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rjpaxx:v:80:y:2014:i:2:p:153-167
    DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2014.956654
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ragland, David R & Pande, Swati & Bigham, John & Cooper, Jill F, 2014. "Ten Years Later: Examining the Long-Term Impact of the California Safe Routes to School Program," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt8m59g6vx, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
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    Cited by:

    1. Noreen McDonald & Ruth Steiner & W. Palmer & Allison Bullock & Virginia Sisiopiku & Benjamin Lytle, 2016. "Costs of school transportation: quantifying the fiscal impacts of encouraging walking and bicycling for school travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 159-175, January.
    2. Amanda Fernandes & Mònica Ubalde-López & Tiffany C. Yang & Rosemary R. C. McEachan & Rukhsana Rashid & Léa Maitre & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen & Martine Vrijheid, 2023. "School-Based Interventions to Support Healthy Indoor and Outdoor Environments for Children: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-24, January.
    3. Chen, Peng & Jiao, Junfeng & Xu, Mengyuan & Gao, Xu & Bischak, Chris, 2018. "Promoting active student travel: A longitudinal study," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 265-274.
    4. María Jesús Aranda-Balboa & Francisco Javier Huertas-Delgado & Patricia Gálvez-Fernández & Romina Saucedo-Araujo & Daniel Molina-Soberanes & Pablo Campos-Garzón & Manuel Herrador-Colmenero & Amador Je, 2022. "The Effect of a School-Based Intervention on Children’s Cycling Knowledge, Mode of Commuting and Perceived Barriers: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, August.
    5. Hazel Williams-Roberts & Bonnie Jeffery & Shanthi Johnson & Nazeem Muhajarine, 2015. "The Effectiveness of Healthy Community Approaches on Positive Health Outcomes in Canada and the United States," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Nuno Loureiro & Vânia Loureiro & Alberto Grao-Cruces & João Martins & Margarida Gaspar de Matos, 2022. "Correlates of Active Commuting to School among Portuguese Adolescents: An Ecological Model Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-10, February.
    7. Motta Queiroz, Mariza & Roque, Carlos & Moura, Filipe & Marôco, João, 2024. "Understanding the expectations of parents regarding their children's school commuting by public transport using latent Dirichlet Allocation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    8. Mohammad Lutfur Rahman & Antoni Moore & Melody Smith & John Lieswyn & Sandra Mandic, 2020. "A Conceptual Framework for Modelling Safe Walking and Cycling Routes to High Schools," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-16, May.
    9. Noreen C. McDonald & Ruth L. Steiner & W. Mathew Palmer & Allison N. Bullock & Virginia P. Sisiopiku & Benjamin F. Lytle, 2016. "Costs of school transportation: quantifying the fiscal impacts of encouraging walking and bicycling for school travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 159-175, January.
    10. Thomas V. Vasey & Suzanne J. Carroll & Mark Daniel & Margaret Cargo, 2022. "Changing Primary School Children’s Engagement in Active School Travel Using Safe Routes to School Interventions: A Rapid Realist Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-29, August.
    11. Emilio Villa-González & Sergio Rosado-López & Yaira Barranco-Ruiz & Manuel Herrador-Colmenero & Cristina Cadenas-Sánchez & Maria Paula Santos & Palma Chillón, 2019. "Objective Measurement of the Mode of Commuting to School Using GPS: A Pilot Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-12, September.
    12. Macridis, Soultana & Garcia Bengoechea, Enrique & McComber, Alex M. & Jacobs, Judi & Macaulay, Ann C., 2016. "Active transportation to support diabetes prevention: Expanding school health promotion programming in an Indigenous community," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 99-108.
    13. Deanna M. Hoelscher & Leigh Ann Ganzar & Deborah Salvo & Harold W. Kohl & Adriana Pérez & Henry Shelton Brown & Sarah S. Bentley & Erin E. Dooley & Amir Emamian & Casey P. Durand, 2022. "Effects of Large-Scale Municipal Safe Routes to School Infrastructure on Student Active Travel and Physical Activity: Design, Methods, and Baseline Data of the Safe Travel Environment Evaluation in Te," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, February.
    14. Fernando Rodríguez-Rodríguez & Carlos Cristi-Montero & Carlos Celis-Morales & Danica Escobar-Gómez & Palma Chillón, 2017. "Impact of Distance on Mode of Active Commuting in Chilean Children and Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-9, November.
    15. Manuel Herrador-Colmenero & Manuel Escabias & Francisco B. Ortega & Noreen C. McDonald & Palma Chillón, 2019. "Mode of Commuting TO and FROM School: A Similar or Different Pattern?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-9, February.

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