Every child deserves a safe, fun way to get to school. Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a federally funded nationwide effort, started in the mid-2000s to help students safety and easily walk, bike, and roll to school. SRTS programs support city planning and policy efforts to help communities build sidewalks, bicycle paths, and other pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and develop programs that promote safe travel habits, community involvement, and a culture of walking and biking.
And it works. A 16-year study across 18 states found that SRTS programs lowered pedestrian and bicyclist injury risk by 14-16%. A study of 801 schools found a 31% increase in the proportion of students walking and biking to school after five years in the program. Kids who walk and bike to school also get daily physical activity, show up more focused and ready to learn, and build friendships along the way.
Trailnet brings Safe Routes to School to life in two ways:
School Action Plans. We work with school staff, families, and neighbors to study the streets around a school and recommend changes to improve the built environment so kids can bike or walk to school safely.
Education and Encouragement. We help kids walk and bike to school and host bike safety rodeos in their communities where students build real-world riding skills and confidence on wheels.
School Action Plans
City Garden serves approximately 275 students from preschool through 8th grade on two campuses in the Botanical Heights neighborhood, and is the first of several St. Louis schools to receive a plan through our SRTS grant.
Working with City Garden staff and neighbors, we studied how families get to school with walk audits, traffic and safety mapping, and on-the-ground-observation. Our action plan brought the data together to put forward our recommendations, which includes School Zones, School Streets, and Calm Streets. The plan also contains lessons, activities, and resources to help teachers and families build safe walking and biking habits. The table of contents is linked, making for easy navigation of the plan.