Welcome to the place for up to date information on the Rodgers Forge Elementary School (RFES) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Initiative. This first post provides introductory background information on SRTS at RFES. It also provides an opportunity for community input and feedback about SRTS ideas and activities. We want to hear from you!
What is Safe Routes to School (SRTS)?
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a concept that began in the late 1990's and has grown into a national movement. SRTS has one overarching goal: To get more school children walking and biking to school wherever feasible. Today there are more than 10,000 SRTS programs nationwide, and there are federal and state SRTS grants available for communities to support their SRTS activities. SRTS activities help increase the number of kids walking and biking in two ways:
- By making the walking and biking environment safer and more attractive through physical enhancements such as improved crosswalks and signage, by conducting pedestrian and bicycle safety courses, and better enforcement of traffic laws; and
- By encouraging more walking and biking through community organized walk-to-school events, contests, and educational events that highlight the health, social, and environmental benefits of walking.
Why SRTS?
Historically, the vast majority of children in the U.S. walked and biked to school. However, there has been a sharp decline in the percentage of children walking or biking to school from over 70% in the 1960's to just 12% today. This trend has had a major impact on the amount of exercise and physical activity our kids get each day. SRTS seeks to reverse the trend and encourage more kids to walk and bike in order to improve physical health, as well as a host of other associated benefits. Recent studies have shown that children that walk to school arrive more alert and better prepared to learn. There are also social benefits for communities from increased walking as children and parents encounter classmates and neighbors on the way to and from school. This increases neighborhood activity, community cohesiveness, and increases safety and security by putting more "eyes and ears on the street." In addition, having fewer kids being driven to school means less traffic congestion and improved air quality around schools.
Rodgers Forge is inherently an ideal community for walking, and many RFES children do indeed walk. However, through observation and discussion among many community members, there are clear opportunities to improve the walking environment, and ways to encourage a greater percentage of families to walk and bike in Rodgers Forge through voluntary, fun events.
How did SRTS get started in Rodgers Forge?
In early 2011, the Rodgers Forge Community Association (RFCA) Board of Governors voted to support the idea of starting a SRTS program for RFES. Soon after that, the Board formed a SRTS Committee, chaired by RFCA Board member Stu Sirota, who had spearheaded the idea of starting a SRTS effort in Rodgers Forge. Stu is a community planning consultant who specializes in the design of "walkable communities" and is also experienced in managing SRTS programs. Stu and his wife Lisa, also a professional planner, currently have two children attending RFES, and felt that a community-led SRTS program could make their great walkable community of Rodgers Forge even greater. The SRTS Committee is comprised of community members who are interested in helping advance SRTS efforts and membership on the committee is not limited to RFCA Board members. In fact, only two of the current 8 members of the committee are members of the RFCA Board.
How does SRTS work and what can we expect in the coming months?
As mentioned, SRTS is a grassroots, community led initiative. For SRTS to be most effective, we are developing a partnership with the school and the PTA, and anticipate doing the same with local agencies including the police department and public works department. The SRTS committee started meeting this summer to formulate ideas for enhancing the walking/biking environment to/from RFES and ways to encourage more walking and biking. This fall, the committee will be evaluating ideas and seeking additional input and feedback from the community.
We have also developed a take home survey for RFES parents to fill out and return. This survey is being administered through the Rodgers Forge PTA and will be included in the back to school packet with each student during the first week of school. The survey will be vital to informing our work and identifying opportunities for moving SRTS efforts forward. The SRTS Committee plans to use this blog and other web-based media to share and present ideas on specific SRTS elements and expects to have an initial set of draft recommendations by the end of the calendar year. There may also be an opportunity to begin implementing "low hanging fruit" as soon as the fall.
SRTS will be an ongoing effort, and the committee plans to track progress of SRTS efforts along the way. If there are recommended physical improvements that will require funding, Rodgers Forge should be in a very good position to compete for it because we will have a strong SRTS plan in place.
How can I learn more about SRTS?
The following websites provide a wealth of information about SRTS, and the following videos provide an excellent overview of SRTS:
Web resources:
Short videos:
How can I get Involved?
- If you would like to join the SRTS Committee, please send an e-mail to SRTS Committee Chair, Stu Sirota at SRTScomments@tndplan.com
- If you would like to receive updates on SRTS Committee activities, please subscribe to this blog.
- If you would like to comment or share ideas or concerns about SRTS, please feel free to submit comments on the blog.
