Safe Routes to School Program at [INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL]

1. Vermont Agency of TransportationSafe Routes to School Programat[INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL]Date

2. Today’s Presentation • SRTS Overview • The 5 E’s • SRTS at Our School • Next Steps www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

3. Safe Routes to School History • Comprehensive approach to student travel and safety began in Europe – late 1970s • Embraced by U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – 1998 • National Safe Routes to School Program funded in SAFETEA-LU www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

4. What is Safe Routes to School? • Enables children to walk and bicycle to school. • Planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools. www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

5. Why Is It Important? • Children are walking or bicycling to school less: • Past - over 70% • Present - less than 15% • In VT, as many as 65% of school kids are routinely driven to school • School transportation operating costs in the U.S. exceed $14 billion annually • The estimated cost of obesity related illnesses in VT is $141 million per year QUALITY OF LIFE HEALTH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

6. Children’s Health Risks • Prevalence of overweight children • Sharp increase in cases of type 2 diabetes • Pedestrian injuries are the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among kids. • Asthma rates in kids have increased 160% in the past 15 years www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

7. Children’s Health Risks • Speeding increases severity of injury • Speeding reduces the driver’s field of vision Source: FHWA www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

8. Why Walk and Bike to School? Increased physical activity Increased independence Improved pedestrian skills More social interaction Many reasons walk and bike to school Community design Reduced fear of crime Less reliance on automobile Decreased neighborhood/ school traffic www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

9. Safe Routes to School Approach • 5 E’s • Education • Encouragement • Engineering • Enforcement • Evaluation www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

10. WalkSmart / BikeSmart Vermont In-classroom training In-field training Bikeology Bike Rodeo Education www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

11. Walking Wednesdays Walking School Bus/Bicycle Trains Way to Go Week (May) International Walk to School Day (October) Vermont Walk to School Day (April) Encouragement www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

12. Engineering • Traffic calming • Sidewalks • School drop off/pick up zones • Intersection improvements www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

13. Enforcement • Speed Enforcement in School Zones • Bike Helmet Reminders • Crossing Guard Training www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

14. Evaluation • Parent Survey • Measure parents attitudes • Classroom Student Tallies • Measures current behavior • Walk Audit • Assessment of roads & sidewalks in the vicinity of the schools www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

15. [Your School Name Here] School • Completed and Ongoing Activities • X • X • X www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

16. [Your School Name Here] School • Next Steps • X • X • X www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

17. How You Can Help: • Event coordination • Assessment of walking and bicycling conditions • Leaders for Walking School Buses and Bike Trains • Volunteers for Bicycle Safety Fair • Data collection • If you are interested in helping out the best thing you can do is join our SRTS team! www.saferoutes.vermont.gov

18. Find Out More……. • Learn more about Safe Routes to Schoolwww.saferoutes.vermont.gov • Attend our next SRTS Team meeting [date] • Contact me at [your email and phone here] www.saferoutes.vermont.gov