Safe Routes to School Program: State of California
In 1999, the State of California took an innovative approach to using federal Surface Transportation safety funds by dedicating one-third of those funds to pedestrian and bicycle construction projects near schools. The program came to be known as Safe Routes to School (SR2S). The goal that California policy makers sought was to reverse the low rate of children walking to school (just 16% of the total in recent years) so that routine daily activity was once again normal for children.
The SR2S program grew dramatically within one decade. Several examples include:
- Education and enforcement projects became eligible for funding
- Other states and cities adopted the model
- The program was codified in federal regulations and funded
SR2S addresses important social goals: increasing physical activity and promoting safety for school children. Popular support for SR2S was very high; the need was obvious to transportation professionals and parents alike. It was a political win-win for leaders at all levels of government.
Improving conditions for and promoting walking to school can reduce private vehicle and bus traffic at peak hours, which reduces congestion, the amount of gasoline used, the amount of emissions into the atmosphere and the amount of air pollution in cities.
