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Safe Routes to School
District Department of transportation
Walking and biking to school mean healthier children and less traffic. DDOT’s Safe Routes to School program helps make it safer, more convenient, and more fun to get to school on foot or by bike. The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program is funded by the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration.
DDOT’s program has four main initiatives:
- Education: Since 2003, DDOT has funded safety education in elementary schools. Kindergarten, first and second graders learn pedestrian safety, while third, fourth and fifth graders learn bicycle skills. Experts from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association give the training at eight schools per year, and at other events. In 2007, they trained over 3000 DC children.
- Enforcement: SRTS funds pay for extra traffic enforcement in school zones with help from our partners at the Metropolitan Police Department.
- Sidewalks: There are missing sidewalks near schools throughout the District, making it difficult to walk to school. DDOT is spending $1.5 million over 2 years to install sidewalks in schools zones.
- Pilot Schools: The most ambitious component of DDOT’s safe routes program is the pilot schools initiative. In 2008, DDOT will select eight schools, one in each ward, to undergo comprehensive safe routes evaluation, and implementation, in all of the areas mentioned above: education, enforcement, engineering and encouragement. DDOT will be accepting applications in March for pilot schools. Involvement of all school community stakeholders will be key to the success of this initiative.
Links:
- The National Center for Safe Routes to School
- Safe Routes to School National Partnership
- Federal Highway Administration Safe Routes to School
- International Walk to School in the USA (for Walk to School Day events)
WABA
DC SRTS State Network
DC is one of the ten jurisdictions participating in the SRTS National Partnership State Network Project. The DC SRTS State Network Organizer works for a sponsoring organization, which is under contract with the SRTS National Partnership.
DC SRTS State Network Organizer
Glen Harrison
(202) 518-0524
email
www.waba.org
DC SRTS State Network Chairs
Tommy Wells, Ward 6 Councilmember
Neha Bhatt, Mr. Well’s Transportation Advisor
Muriel Bowser, Ward 4 Councilmember
DC SRTS State Network Partners
ASPIRA- Latino youth education and leadership association
Coalition for Smarter Growth
DC Dept. of Health, Policy, Planning and Research
DC Dept. of Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs
District Dept. of Transportation, SRTS Coordinator
DC Office of Planning, Neighborhood Planning
DC Public Schools, PE and Health
DC Public Schools, Special Education
DC Safe Kids
Howard University, Civil Engineering
Injury Free Coalition for Kids
Metropolitan Police Department
DC SRTS State Network Affiliates
Transportation/WMATA Liason, DC Committee on Public Works and the Environment
DC SRTS Program
DC’s Safe Routes to School program is managed by the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT).
DC DOT SRTS Coordinator
Jennifer Hefferan
(202) 671-2227
email
http://ddot.dc.gov/saferoutes
DC SRTS Federal Funding
DC’s SRTS funding totals $4,990,000 and includes the following annual apportionments:
| 2005 Actual | 2006 Actual | 2007 Actual | 2008 Actual | 2009 Projected |
| $1,000,000 | $990,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Applications
DC’s SRTS program has finished the first round application process where they received 13 applications from each of the city's 8 Wards.DC schools may also be able to apply to participate in future SRTS Programs. Through a competitive process, eight DC schools are being selected, one in each of the District’s wards. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will assist each Pilot School in the development of a comprehensive SRTS Plan. DC’s SRTS Advisory Committee is currently reviewing the applications.
State Advisory Committee
DC’s SRTS Advisory Committee is made up of the members of the SRTS National Partnership’s DC State Network. This committee, plus a few other invited members, will select the eight pilot schools.
State Outreach Programs
Developed and implemented by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), Bike and Pedestrian Safety is a safety education program that brings training to schools. For more information, please see http://www.waba.org/bikingforkids/.
DDOT is partnering with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to provide enforcement of traffic laws in school zones. School zone enforcement will occur throughout the school year.
In addition to the projects that are being implemented using Federal SRTS funding, DDOT is conducting a School Area Assessment project to improve signs, signals, and marking maintenance around schools and to create a GIS inventory of these improvements.
Evaluation Methods
Current evaluation methods of the education program involve pre- and post student testing and participant skills evaluation. DC Pilot schools will be required to complete the Student In-Class Travel Tally and the Parent Survey provided by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, both before and after implementation of the SRTS program.
Other Statewide and Regional SRTS Programs
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association has developed several safe biking and walking programs and events for students K-8.
Legislation and Policy Education
Key educational opportunities exist in priority issues relating to biking and walking in the District, such as Implementing the Federal and State SRTS Program, School Siting and Co-location, Complete Streets, School Zone Reduced Speed and Double Fines and creation of a Safety Fund.
A few of our accomplishments thus far are: encouraged hiring of DC SRTS coordinator, encouraged and educated regarding Complete Streets, education regarding creating traffic fine revenue and safety fund, act as Advisory Council for DDOT SRTS Coordinator, assist in SRTS School Selection process, selected and assisted Local School in applying for SRTS funds.
Other important SRTS issues include: Crossing Guard Assessment District, Strategic Highway Safety Implementation Plans, DCPS Wellness Policy, SRTS Evaluation Tools and Policies and Bicycle and Pedestrian Curriculum development.
DDOT and DC’s Office of Planning are currently working on a "Skinny Streets" policy that will allow narrower streets. DC’s Pedestrian Master Plan is focusing on arterial streets that present crossing challenges for all people on foot as well as policy review and training on pedestrian-friendly design principles.
Pilot School News
The District of Columbia Department of Transportation has received applications from 12 schools in 8 Wards that are interested in participating in the DC Safe Routes to School Pilot Program.
Application Materials:
Evaluation Materials:
- Instructions
- Student In-Class Travel Tally
- Parent Survey
- English
- Spanish
Website:
Application Timeline:
March 3, 2008: Call for Applications Opens
May 1, 2008: Applications Due
June 2008: Pilot Schools Selected
More information:
If you would like to learn more about any of these initiatives, or request assistance in your school community, please contact Jennifer Hefferan, Safe Routes to School Coordinator at (202) 671-2227
National Partnership
State Network Project
Background
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership recognizes that the potential for SRTS is much broader than the $612 million in funds approved by Congress in 2005 and available now through State Departments of Transportation. In March 2007, the SRTS National Partnership launched the Safe Routes to School State Network Implementation Project to leverage SRTS resources by creating stakeholder networks in the District of Columbia and nine key states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
The nine states and D.C. were selected based on both need and their capacity to support the program. At the local level, each State Network will identify and provide technical assistance to a low-income community or school.
Project Goals
- Increase physical activity in school-aged children grades K–8 by increasing the number of children walking and bicycling to schools in ten key states;
- Help to ensure success of the federal SRTS program in the key locations; and
- Institutionalize SRTS state-level programs in the key locations so that it is not dependent on (and does not end after) one short burst of funding.
By linking existing leaders associated with health, bicycle, pedestrian, youth, education, disadvantaged communities, and smart growth organizations, the State Network Project is working to help the SRTS federal program succeed by identifying viable projects for funding, helping fully commit available SRTS funds, and creating and maintaining State SRTS Advisory Committees in states without existing committees.
State networks are also committed to leveraging additional resources for Safe Routes to School, removing barriers to walking and bicycling to schools, and creating an institutional framework for generating long-term policy changes such as: improved state-level recommendations on school siting, Complete Streets, leveraging other government funds for SRTS projects, and fine-based funding mechanisms (such as creating double-fines for speeding in school zones and directing funds from other traffic violations).
Networks
The ten SRTS state networks are partnering with Departments of Transportation, Health and Education, as well as additional stakeholders, including state and regional nonprofit groups, elected officials, businesses, universities and others.
Each SRTS State Network is facilitated by a contracted State Network Organizer, and SRTS State Action Plans created by the networks guide their efforts. Network members help with outreach and promotion, education, research, convening stakeholders within their field, advocacy, and development and ongoing refinement of the State Action Plan. An emphasis is placed on collaborative efforts between agencies, organizations and initiatives with similar goals that may not already be working together. The future of SRTS programs in the U.S. may well be influenced by how well this SRTS State Network program succeeds during the years 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Supporters
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided primary support for the three-year SRTS State Network Project (2007 – 2009). Additional funding for 2008 and 2009 has been secured through matching funds from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvest Foundation and Kaiser Permanente. The Project is also funded in part by the Bikes Belong Coalition. Funding for 2009 isn't completely secured, and additional funders for the SRTS State Network Project are still needed.