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

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 new development supports access to school. About the Authors Noreen McDonald ([email protected]) is an associate professor of city and regional planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ruth Steiner ([email protected]) is a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Florida. Chanam Lee ([email protected]) is an associate professor of landscape architecture and urban planning at Texas A&M. Tori Rhoulac Smith ([email protected]) is an adjunct assistant professor and director of undergraduate studies in the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Sciences at Howard University. Xuemei Zhu ([email protected]) is an associate professor of architecture at Texas A&M. Yizhao Yang ([email protected]) is an associate professor of planning, public policy and management at the University of Oregon.