Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a national initiative aimed at enhancing the safety of school travel and promoting walking and cycling. Originating in the United States during the 1990s, SRTS programs were introduced statewide in New Jersey in 2003. In 2005, Congress allocated funding for SRTS programs across all states and the District of Columbia. The program has since provided over $1 billion nationwide to support infrastructure improvements that facilitate safer pedestrian and bicycle routes for students.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School has traditionally recommended using student arrival and departure travel tallies or parent surveys before and after project implementation to gauge how students commute to school. However, this data collection method often proved challenging and imprecise, leading to gaps in understanding the impact of projects. Many schools did not assess changes in travel activity pre- and post-SRTS infrastructure development. Additionally, information on modes of travel may not have accurately reflected actual safety risks such as exposure to high-speed traffic or wide intersections.
To improve school zone safety, it is suggested that measures incorporate the Safe System Approach by addressing vehicle speeds through infrastructure enhancements like sidewalk additions combined with traffic calming measures. Active traffic calming methods include medians, narrow lanes, bike lanes, and road diets; passive methods involve radar feedback signs. These strategies align with Vision Zero initiatives aiming to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
Given the importance of speed in ensuring safety, SRTS projects around school zones should integrate elements that slow down drivers. Their effectiveness should be evaluated through speed studies rather than solely relying on travel tallies or parent surveys.
