Walking and Biking Audit

What is Safe Routes to School?

• Safe Routes to School is a national movement to:√ Make it safe, convenient and fun for children to bicycle and walk to school. √ Promote regular physical activity needed for

good health. • Safe Routes to School initiatives help:

√ Ease traffic jams √ Reduce air pollution √ Unite neighborhoods √ Foster students’ readiness to learn in school.

Childhood Health and Safe Routes to School

• Prevalence of overweight children has doubled;

teens has tripled.

• Sharp increase in cases of type 2 diabetes in children.

• Pedestrian injuries are the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children.

• Asthma rates have increased 160% in the past 15 years in children.

Recording Hazards on Maps

Missing sidewalks

Car blocking sidewalk

Using the Camera

1. Write an identifying number on both your map and your camera (same # on each).

2. Write the photo number shown on your camera next to what you took a picture of on the map. (Identify the subject of each photo.)

Missing sidewalks

Car blocking sidewalk

P24

P23

No sidewalk and trash

Hazards to Look For

Other Hazards to Look For

• View of traffic blocked

• Inadequate lighting

• No traffic signal

• No pedestrian signal

• Speed limit not obeyed

• Abandoned buildings

• Areas of known crime

• Loose dogs

1. Review all observations

2. Make a list of your recommendations next to each street (or on a separate sheet of paper by identifying each street).

Car blocking sidewalk

Missing sidewalks

Make Recommendations

Recommendations: Educate

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Recommendations: Encourage

Parents comments after walking event:• "It was easier than I thought" • "I'll lead walking school busses" • "I'll be a crossing guard." • "I loved it" • "Just like when I was a kid" • "Great for the community"

• • Walking Wednesdays

• • "Remote" drop off areas

• • Hold Top Ten contests

Recommendations: Enforce

Pace cars aim to slow it downBy DAN WHITESentinel staff writer

Councilwoman Emily Reilly is daring to drive the speed limit.

"Oh, the first month, it was weird," she said of her quest to respect 25 mph zones. "People kept looking at me."

Reilly is one of the first guinea pig in a local traffic experiment to get large groups of Santa Cruzans to become official "pace car" drivers. …

Recommendations: Engineer Decreasing the

Distance

The Walking and Biking Tour

is a lot like kindergarten; we’re going to:

•Listen and learn.

•Go outside.

•Come in and draw.

•Have circle time.

Have fun and be nice!