TM

Far More Children Ride in a Car or School Bus to School

than Walk or Bicycle (of trips 1 mile or less)

51%

14%

31%

3% 1%

Auto

School Bus

Walk

Bicycle

Other

Calculations from the1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey. US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, unpublished data, 2000.

The Short School Commute

US Active Trips 1977-1995National Personal Transportation Survey, USDOT

0

2

4

6

8

10

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

% o

f Tot

al T

rips

Bike Trips Walk Trips

US Auto Trips 1977-1995National Personal Transportation Survey, USDOT

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

% o

f Tot

al T

rips

Auto Trips

Physical Inactivity…The Problem

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Adults Children

MississippiU.S. avg

Overweight and Obesity

Mississippi ranks 1st in the nation in the number of obese people per capita

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 1985

No Data <10% 10%–14%

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 1990

No Data <10% 10%–14%

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 1995

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19%

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 1996

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 1997

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 1998

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 1999

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 2000

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 2001

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 2002

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 2003

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2004)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%

Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults: 2004

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” woman)

(Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC, 2005)

• Prevalence of overweight children has doubled; teens has tripled.

• Sharp increase in cases of type 2 diabetes in children.

• Pedestrian injuries are the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children.

• Asthma rates have increased 160% in the past 15 years in children.

Children’s Health RisksRelated to Physical Inactivity,

Pedestrian Safety, and Air Quality

More socialinteraction

Increasedindependence

Increasedphysicalactivity

Improvedpedestrian

skills

Communitydesign

Less relianceon automobileDecreased

neighborhood/school traffic

Reduced fearof crime

One Solution: Safe Routes to School

Many reasons to promote walking &

bikingto School

Safe Routes to School

in Mississippi: How does it

work?

SR2S GameplanForm team of local stakeholders

Assess attitudes/behaviors of student/parents

Assess the environment

Develop recommendations and present to appropriate groups

Develop maps of suggested routes and needed improvements

Walk to School Day: Great ‘Team Builder’ for

SR2S• First week of every October

Local Safe Routes to School Teams:

• Principal/school administrator

• Parents (PTO/PTA)

• Police (safety)

• Road authority

Start with:

• Teacher• Government official• STUDENTS• Community members

(neighbors, grandparents, transportation experts, others.)

but also…

Assess Attitudes/Behaviors of Students/Parents

How long is your journey to school? How do you get to school? How do you get to school?

How would you like to get to and from school?

Does a parent or another adult accompany you to school?

Are there parts of your journey where you don't feel safe?

How could the journey be made safer?

How they want to get to school

How kid’s get to school

Michigan SR2S Pilot Project: Sample Results

To School in Good Weather

6% 5%

19%

2% 1%

67%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Walk

BikeSchool Bus

Parent's Car

Other Car

SkateboardMethod of Travel (one choice)

Per

cen

tag

e o

f S

tud

ents

How Students Would Like to Travel to School

23%

57%

29%

39%

17% 18%

2%

21%

0%

20%

40%

60%

City Bus

RollerbladeMethod of Travel (multiple choices)

Per

cen

tag

e o

f S

tud

ents

Walk

BikeSchool Bus

Parent's Car

Other Car

Skateboard

•Room to walk/ride?

•Able to cross streets?

•Traffic a problem?

•Safe, pleasant?

Assess Infrastructure and Policies

Infrastructure Improvements

• Build, repair sidewalks and trails.

• Improve crosswalks, signals; hire crossing guards; calm traffic.

• Relocate auto drop-off areas; no idling policies & car-free zones.

Around the Front Door(School Property)

Safe all the way to the front door of the school?

Covered and accessible bike racks?

Walkers are protected from busses and cars?

Develop SR2S Maps

Recommended Walking Route

Safe Route in progress

Develop a Plan

Team brainstorms solutions

Prioritize recommendations

First steps/easy wins

Long-term goals/shared vision

Who needs to buy in?

Step-by-step plan includes advocacy

Change Can Happen!

This sidewalk is now protected from vehicles driving over it to park.

The 5 E’s: Foundation for Planning Recommendations

• Education – flyers, maps, skill- building

• Encouragement – programs, activities, contests, etc. (walking school bus, walking Wednesdays)

• Enforcement – law enforcement (signs & lights [passive], tickets, stings, etc.) or community involvement (patrols, safe houses, crossing guards)

• Engineering – sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic calming

• Evaluation – evaluate your program and adjust strategies as needed

Policies and Legislation: Part of the Plan

At all levels (district, community and state):• Busing• Liability• Roadway maintenance• Classroom curricula• After-school programs• Crossing guards• Storage for bikes and books• School siting & size• Transportation funding

Present Plan to Appropriate Groups

City council

School board

PTO/PTA

Media

Service Groups

Neighborhood

associations

Others

First Steps toward SR2S

1) Join or form a SR2S team.2) Participate in (or lead) Walk to School Day.3) Help collect information on attitudes,

behaviors and environment (with your team).4) Assist with developing recommendations and

an action plan5) Advocate walking and biking to school.6) Visit www.saferoutesmichigan.org for more

info or ideas.

Who Benefits?