1. School-based projects from a Transportation Act program

2. 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

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

4. 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

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

7. 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

8. School transportation comes in many flavors

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

10. 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

11. 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

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

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

14. Some sample projects EustisEustis Heights

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

16. 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%)

18. Security -- Surveys uncover attitudes Concerns about ◦ Bullying, verbal and physical threat, 32% of 12-18 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Bike trains Suitable for older students http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/walking_school_bus/index.cfm

22. DOT resources http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/safety/ ◦ Contacts for bike and ped teacher training http://www.pedbikesrc.ce.ufl.edu/ ◦ Many safety and best practice handouts: tip sheets, pamphlets, curriculum guides, small items for promotion

23. Coming soon Workshops around Florida about walking school bus techniques http://www.pednet.org/programs/ Contact FDOT SRTS coordinator for details http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/SRTS_files/SRTS.shtm

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

25. 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)

26. Joan Carter, FDOT, District Five Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator DeLand, 32720 (386) 943-5335