In 2005, the governor and Washington state Legislature made a 16-year commitment to the Safe Routes to School program, which aims to ensure safe access to schools by pedestrians and bicyclists.
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The Four E's
A successful Safe Routes to School program should encompass each of the Four E's:
Education – Programs used to teach children safe walking behaviors, such as proper crossing at crosswalks, and to teach adults safe driving behaviors.
Encouragement – Any efforts to encourage safe, healthy, regular walking, such as special events, announcements, public relations and prize or incentive programs.
Enforcement – Efforts by law enforcement to aggressively enforce posted speeds and traffic laws to create safer driving habits, often used in neighborhoods and near schools.
Engineering – The design and building of facilities, including roadways, sidewalks, lighting, signs and traffic calming methods to enhance the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Information courtesy of the National Center for Safe Routes to School.
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Tips for Parents
1. Walk or bike with your child to school. The exercise is good for you too!
2. Make sure your child is properly equipped. He or she will need a bicycle in sound mechanical condition, a helmet that fits snugly and appropriate shoes.
3. Don't forget a bike lock.
4. If you live too far away to realistically bike or walk the entire distance, drive part of the way.
5. Try biking or walking just one day a week, then add a day at a time as it becomes easier.
6. Talk to your school and community leaders about starting a Safe Routes to School program in your area.
Helpful Links
Feet First is an advocacy organization building walkable communities. www.feetfirst.info
Using Your Own Two Feet: Walking or Bicycling to School Safely
By Jennifer Donahue
When Joe and Daisy Zajonc's daughter Lucy was in kindergarten and first grade, the family lived in Germany. The community there was compact enough that walking and biking was frequently the easiest choice, and the walk to school was just part of everyday life. So when they moved to Seattle's Mount Baker neighborhood, it made sense to find a house that would be close enough to allow Lucy to walk or bike to school each day.
“In selecting our neighborhood school we knew we would be avoiding a morning car ride,” says Joe Zajonc. “Not only did we like the school, but we considered it a quality of life issue to have a pleasant journey to school each day.”
In 1970, the year I was born, more than half of all children walked or biked to school, but today just one in eight gets to school on their own two feet or pedals. The impact of that change has been measurable: childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 20 years; an estimated 25 percent of morning traffic is parents driving their kids to school; and air quality continues to suffer due to increasing pollution.
“The decline in walking to school has absolutely mirrored the increase in childhood obesity,” says Jen Cole, program director of Feet First, an organization that advocates for more walkable communities. “What you're seeing is that children today do not have physical activity built into their lives – particularly moderate activity.”
There are a few reasons behind the trend away from biking and walking to school. Families are living farther away from their schools than they did in years past. Parents are more fearful about crime, although crime rates have actually dropped – especially near schools. Traffic is another concern. While pedestrian injury and death rates have dropped, it's worth noting that 50 percent of children hit by cars near schools are hit by cars driven by parents of students, indicating a continuing need for more traffic safety education and enforcement.
Efforts are underway to get kids back on their feet or bikes and out of cars. In 2005, the governor and Washington state Legislature made a 16-year commitment to the Safe Routes to School program, which aims to ensure safe access to schools by pedestrians and bicyclists. In 2006, state legislators allocated $14 million ($7 million each from federal and state sources) to improve walking and biking safety and to fund local “safe routes to schools” initiatives.
In Seattle, the Safe Routes to School program is primarily funded through the voter-approved Bridging the Gap transportation levy. The city collaborates with school staff, students and parents to find ways to make walking and biking safer and more accessible. Over the life of the nine-year levy, the city hopes to make major improvements at 30 schools across the city.
“We're approaching the tipping point,” says Cole. “Awareness is growing rapidly and the numbers are really swelling.” Cole points to successful programs in Kirkland and Auburn as some of the community-based Safe Routes to School projects that are making a difference.
Bicycling is a natural fit for western Washington, which is home to the nation's largest cycling club (Cascade Bicycle Club) and boasts the highest turnout for National Bike-to-Work Day in the country.
Certainly, there are hurdles to riding a bike to school. For the Zajonc family, an initial problem was figuring out where Lucy could lock up her bike. Cycling with a heavy bike lock along with a bag full of books can be a struggle. And our famous Pacific Northwest weather gets in the way. “Winter riding is definitely less common for Lucy,” says Zajonc. “There is also a regular problem of what to do with the bike when Lucy has an after-school activity,” he adds. “Sometimes, the bike is put in the car; sometimes she walks on those days instead.”
Parents who want to encourage their kids to ride to school should help them figure out the best route and, if possible, ride along with them several times to help identify any trouble spots. “To me, the safest route means the least traffic, the least big intersections, the best visibility and the most crossing guards,” says Zajonc. “We would walk the route and talk about where the sidewalk was better than the street and which driveways had poor visibility.” Talk to your child about possible scenarios and things they should look out for. You may also feel more comfortable having your child ride with a buddy.”
As with most things that take a little effort, the end result is worth it. Now entering the fourth grade, Lucy Zajonc is reaping the benefits of riding to school each day. “I believe Lucy feels a sense of self-sufficiency from the riding,” says Joe Zajonc. “She also thinks it's just plain fun!”
In an effort to get more parents and kids involved in walking (and biking), the National Center for Safe Routes to School has sponsored an annual Walk to School Day since 1997. This year's event is scheduled for Oct. 7.
As of press time, activities were planned at Lakeview, Ben Franklin and Rose Hill Elementary Schools in Kirkland; at Island Park and West Mercer Elementary Schools on Mercer Island; at Wildwood Park Elementary School in Puyallup; at Norman Rockwell Elementary School in Redmond and at Lawton and Sacajawea Elementary Schools, Epiphany School and John Stanford International School in Seattle. To register your event or find out how to plan a Walk to School Day (or week or month), visitwww.walktoschool.org and click on “Who's Walking” on the left hand side of the home page.
Jennifer Donahue lives with her family in Kenmore. She is co-editor of Northwest Cyclist, an annual publication.
