School-based projects from a Transportation Act program

Federal master transportation act Funded by gas taxes Included roadway construction and maintenance funding Safety project funds “Enhancement” funding for trails and sidewalks First time: Safe Routes to School program

To encourage children, K-12, including the disabled, to walk and ride bikes to school ◦ Obesity cited as a major concern

Florida Child Obesity (age 2-19): 18.3% Adult: 26% and rising Physically Active Florida Children (Age 6-17): 34.1% Increasing health care costs shortened lifespan Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: 2011

Funding began in 2005 Funding flexibility 70-90% infrastructure Sidewalks, trails, traffic calming, bike storage 10-30% non-infrastructure Education, outreach, promotion

Focus on schools, new to DOT FDOT studies include preliminary design and engineering (PD&E) phase PD&E manual barely mentions schools Pedestrian and bike accommodation, part of the PD&E process *** By statute, hazardous walking condition requires responsible agency to address the condition within a reasonable time

School transportation comes in many flavors

Program development Infrastructure projects, local applications—filtered for constructability Non-infrastructure—more difficult to find and carry out All projects aimed to encourage change

Competing ideas about children walking or biking Culture of cars Dependence on Others World is essentially unsafe Generational changes Culture of flexibility in mobility Independence World is complex Past was different but instructive

ONE MEDIUM-SIZED COUNTY 49 Schools for 41,000 students 295 School buses transport 23,000 students daily 10,000 bus stops 29,000 miles per day/5.39 million miles per year Transportation Costs: $19.5 Million/year

Saving money when funds are tight Ending courtesy busing, using depot systems

A little about infrastructure (Needs) Many needs for pedestrian facilities Challenges ◦ Right of way ◦ Drainage impacts (environmental) ◦ Local opinions

Some sample projects EustisEustis Heights

Non-infrastructure and bike parking Walking to School kitsBetter bike racks

Why Kids Don’t Walk to School Factors affecting parents’ decision to let children walk to school: Distance (52%) Safety crossings (42%) Weather/climate (41%) Presence of sidewalks/pathways(38%) Traffic volume(36%) Speed along route(35%)

Security -- Surveys uncover attitudes Concerns about ◦ Bullying, verbal and physical threat, 32% of year olds report being bullied ◦ Gangs—23% report gangs in schools ◦ Personal violent crime—though reported, significant decrease over past 10 years ◦ Abduction—2% are non-family, most are missing for other reasons (lost, injured, stranded) Diverse counter measures to avoid these situations

Overview of countermeasures Teach children to speak up Help children to be street smart Involve families in designing safe strategies Encourage groups Practice with adult supervision Long term benefit, independent ‘free range’ young people

Walking school buses Success depends on community characteristics, one size doesn’t fit all Simple beginnings sometimes are best Organized volunteers and coordinators Small incentives for participating

Bike trains Suitable for older students

DOT resources ◦ Contacts for bike and ped teacher training ◦ Many safety and best practice handouts: tip sheets, pamphlets, curriculum guides, small items for promotion

Coming soon Workshops around Florida about walking school bus techniques Contact FDOT SRTS coordinator for details

Big Picture – long range coordination among agencies Source: Ruth Steiner, Ph.D, UF, 2006)

WHAT WE NEED FROM SCHOOLS Information, collaborative planning Annual information about hazardous walking conditions School representation during PD&E studies for new projects Participation in transportation planning process at MPO Coordination during school site selection and design (early and often)

Joan Carter, FDOT, District Five Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator DeLand, (386)