the problems students bicycling/walking to school dropped from 50% to 10%, 1960s to now loss of...
TRANSCRIPT
The Problems Students bicycling/walking to school
dropped from 50% to 10%, 1960s to now
Loss of children’s independence and free play time outdoors
Impact on physical health: physical fitness/obesity – MO 9th in obesity
Impact on mental health
Reduction in community livability
Missouri historically trailing edge
Our Solutions Increase walking/biking to
school
Build partnerships
Institutionalize SRTS
Policy change in support of SRTS
Improve built environment
Make Missouri a leader
Bridging the Gap, Kansas CityCape Girardeau Safe CommunitiesCity of Columbia, MissouriCity of GladstoneCity of Independence Parks and
RecreationCity of Kansas City, MissouriCity of RaymoreCity of Springfield Public Works
DepartmentColumbia/Boone County Health
DepartmentPlatte County, MissouriFederal Highway Administration, Missouri
DivisionGreat Rivers Greenway DistrictGreater St. Joseph Area MPOHealth Care Foundation of Greater Kansas
CityHeartland HealthIncarnate Word FoundationJefferson County Missouri Health
DepartmentKansas City Bicycle ClubKansas Department of Transportation Safe
Routes to School ProgramKC Healthy KidsLet's Go KCMayor Darwin Hindman, ColumbiaMayor Mark Funkhouser, Kansas CityMid-America Regional CouncilMissouri Bicycle & Pedestrian FederationM-SLICEOffice of Congressman Russ Carnahan
Missouri Convergence PartnershipMissouri Coordinated School Health CoalitionMissouri Council for Activity and NutritionMissouri Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationMissouri Department of Health and Senior ServicesMissouri Department of Natural ResourcesMissouri Department of Transportation, Office of Highway Safety, Safe Routes to School Program Missouri Foundation for Bicycling & WalkingMissouri Foundation for HealthMissouri Park and Recreation AssociationMissouri PTAMissouri School Boards AssociationOffice of Lieutenant Governor Peter KinderOzark Family Resource AgencyOzark Foothills Child Advocacy CenterOzark GreenwaysOzark Heart Health Program, Washington University Bureau of Health PromotionOzarks Transportation Organization, SpringfieldPedNet Coalition, ColumbiaRaytown C-2 School DistrictRepresentative Charlie Denison, SpringfieldRepresentative Charlie Norr, SpringfieldRepresentative Chris Carter, St. LouisRepresentative Jeanne Kirkton, Webster GrovesRepresentative Sara Lampe, Springfield
OVER 80 ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES, OFFICIALS, INDIVIDUALS
RevolveReynolds County Health CenterSafe Routes to School National PartnershipScenic MissouriSoulard Renaissance (newspaper)Springfield-Greene County Health DepartmentSTAR Team, SpringfieldSt Joseph Metropolitan Planning OrganizationSt Joseph Police DepartmentSt. Louis Regional Bicycle FederationSteve Petrehn, Active Lifestyles AdvocateSuperintendent, Hurley R-1 School DistrictSuperintendent, Raytown C-2 School DistrictThe Whole PersonTrailnet, St. LouisTranstria, St. LouisU.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Region VII Office of Minority HealthUniversity of Missouri ExtensionUrban Kansas City Community of CyclingWarsaw Missouri Parks and Recreation
Missouri Safe Routes to School Network
Missouri Safe Routes to School Network
National funding:
Robert Wood Johnson
Kaiser Permanente
Bikes Belong
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Missouri funding:Missouri
Foundation for Health
Incarnate Word Foundation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Region VII Office of Minority Health
Missouri Routes to School Network
Monthly meetings via teleconference
Email list/discussion in between
Action Plan/Action Teams
Policy change in support of SRTS
12 Action Items – 12 Action Teams Complete Streets Policies
across MO
SRTS Champions
Bicycle/Pedestrian Curriculum & Large Scale Instruction
SRTS Statewide Non-Infrastructure Plan)
SRTS Mass Communication
Underserved Communities
Personal Safety
School Wellness Policies
Educating key decision-makers about SRTS
Joint Use Agreements
School Siting Policies
School transportation funding
SRTS Data Gathering & Analysis
MoDOT’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan
Maryland SRTS Network
Brent Hugh
MissouriSRTS
Network
John Schaefer
SRTS Coordinator
MoDOT
501(c)(3)Education,
encouragement, safety
501(c)(4)Promote bicycling
& walking, advocacy
By Foundation, under contract
Policy change
SRTS Issues Multi-disciplinary
Multi-jurisdictional
Result of good intentions
Require broad community support to address
But—one person can often make a BIG difference
Complete Streets Policies Complete Streets needed
for safe walking/biking to school
Greater awareness of Complete Streets policies &impact on schools
Complete Streets at local, MPO/RPC, county, state, & federal levels
Support Missouri Livable Streets initiative
Complete Streets Policies – What You Can Do
Host a Complete Streets seminar or webinar
Work for Complete Streets policies in your city, county, MPO, RPC, etc
Invite bicycle, pedestrian groups to participate in public input for projects & plans
SRTS Champions
Champion is the local parent/teacher/neighbor who gets SRTS done
Identify existing Champions, encourage new Champions
Information sharing, support, training
Recognition
SRTS Champions – What You Can Do Become a SRTS
Champion in your local school or city
Organize Walk to School event (October/April)
Bring Walking School Bus Training to your local community (PedNet/MoDOT)
SRTS Curriculum & Large Scale Instruction
Bike/Ped skills education to every student
Pilot Bike Ed program underway
Hope to take it statewide
Develop standard bike/ped curriculum
Train the trainer programs for bike/ped skills & safety
Photo courtesy BikePortland
SRTS Statewide Non-Infrastructure Plan 10-30% of MoDOT
funding on Non-Infrastructure
Non-Infrastructure = Education, Encouragement, Enforcement
Goal: Improve the effectiveness of MoDOT’s SRTS non-infrastructure funding
SRTS Mass Communication
Create web site, enewsletter, print newsletter, SRTS Guidebook
Media, social media
Improve visibility of SRTS statewide
Work together with/amplify all other Action Items
Image courtesy Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University
Underserved Communities/Personal Safety Obesity/health/environmental
issues disproportionately affect low income & minority groups
Typically they receive less of the funding/programs to address the problem
Is this happening with SRTS funding & programs?
How can we address the problem?
Underserved Communities/Personal Safety – What You Can Do
Join our Underserved Communities Action Team
School Wellness Policies
Every school must have one
Several model policies in MO
Do model policies include SRTS elements? Can they be improved?
Are schools including SRTS elements?
Can we help schools implement SRTS elements they have included?
Image courtesy Kentucky Beef Council
Educate Key Decision Makers about SRTS
Create materials/presentations
Speakers bureau
Meetings between local SRTS champions and key leaders
Educate Key Decision Makers about SRTS – What You Can Do
Join our Action Team
Help us identify the key decision makers
Work with us to speak or give presentations about SRTS
Joint Use Agreements
Use of school facilities by the community after hours
Playgrounds, courts, fields, track, swimming pools, etc
Legal issues, liability, funding
Research existing agreements in MO
Publicize model agreements, case studies
Image courtesy Renee Kuhlman, National Trust for Historic Preservation
School Siting Policies
What can you do with 100 acres?
School Siting Policies
Full cost of school siting decision:
– Land Acquisition– Demolition or Security– Transportation
- More Buses- More Lanes
– Infrastructure- Sewer- Roads
- Sidewalks– Walkability
www.azdot.gov/srts– Health
- Obesity- Asthma
– Local Housing Values
School Siting Policies
Educate (recent webinar now online, MoBikeFed.org/SchoolSiting)
Update Missouri state school construction guidelines to include broader considerations
Possible School Siting Summit
School Siting Policies – What You Can Do
Start/Join our Action Team
Raise issues whenever new schools are planned in your area
School Transportation Funding Formulas
Expert from NPLAN (National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity) analyzed MO’s transportation funding formulas
Conclusion: Structural problems in our school transportation funding discourage bicycling & walking
School Transportation Funding Formulas
Possible solutions:
Require as a condition of transportation funding that districts put rigorous SRTS and bicycle and pedestrian education programs into effect
Provide transportation aid for each student pedestrian and bicyclist, not just eligible bused students
School Transportation Funding Formulas
Possible solutions:
Provide a set amount of state aid for use for transportation (perhaps based on total students in district) and allow districts to allocate money not used for busing to nontransportation needs
Allow schools to work with municipalities to use student transportation funding to fix walking or bicycling hazards
School Transportation Funding Formulas
Possible solutions:
Hazard busing:
Require plan to deal with hazard before allowing funding for busing
Allow use of transportation budget to fix hazards.
School Transportation Funding Formulas – What You Can Do
Join our Action Team
SRTS Data Gathering & Analysis
No one gathers/analyzes comprehensive stats about school biking/walking in MO
Work to develop basic data & collect it regularly over time
Analyze/publicize existing data
SRTS Data Gathering & Analysis – WhatYou Can Do
Start/join our Action Team
SRTS in MO’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan Increase number of SRTS Network
members participating as Blueprint for Safer Roadways partners
Develop more specific goals related to bicycling, walking, and SRTS as part of the Blueprint
Explore the possibility of using highwaysafety funding for specific SRTS needs
What You Can Do – Overall
Join the MO Safe Routes to School Network
Join a specific Action Team
Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter
Join our Facebook page
Speak up for Safe Routes to School
MoBikeFed.org/SafeRoutes
Brent HughMissouri Network OrganizerMissouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation
saferoutespartnership.org/missouriMoBikeFed.org/[email protected]
Missouri Network Meetings4th Tuesdays of Month, 9:30 a.m.
