Transcript Document 7387912

Moving Toward Safer Routes to
School
GOALS
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What is the problem?
What are the barriers to walking and biking?
What is Safe Routes to School??
How do we get started?
How do we make it happen on the ground?
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1985
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1986
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1987
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1988
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1989
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1990
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1991
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1992
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1993
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1994
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1995
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1996
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1997
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
≥20
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1998
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
≥20
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 1999
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
≥20
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 2000
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
≥20
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 2001
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
20%–24%
≥25%
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 2002
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
20%–24%
≥25%
Obesity* Trends Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 2003
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
20%–24%
≥25%
Obesity* Trends Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 2004
(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs overweight for 5’ 4” person)
No Data
<10%
10%–14%
15%–19%
20%–24%
≥25%
OBESITY EPIDEMIC?
Epidemic of Poor Nutrition and
Inactivity
Why should we care?
• This generation of
children may be the
first generation not to
outlive their parents
due to unhealthy
lifestyles.
Is Physical Inactivity Really a
Problem in Montana?
– 22% of Montana High
School students are
overweight or at risk for
becoming overweight
– 26% of Montana high
school students and 30%
of Montana 7th and 8th
graders watch 3 or more
hours of TV on a school
night
2005 YRBS DATA
Children’s Health Risks
Related to Physical Inactivity, Pedestrian
Safety, and Air Quality
• Prevalence of overweight children has tripled.
• Sharp increase in cases of type 2 diabetes in children.
• Pedestrian injury is the 2nd leading cause of
unintentional injury-related death among children (8-14
yr olds).
• Asthma rates have increased 160% in the past 15 years in
children. (CDC data)
Educational Benefits
Studies have shown that increased physical activity
for children:
• Increases concentration
• Improves mood and ability to be alert
• Improves memory and learning
• Enhances creativity
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
A Practical application to improve
health through increased activity,
decrease fuel consumption,decrease
traffic at the school, increase air
quality, and just have fun!!
The Need for Safe Routes
• In 1969 roughly half of all children walked or biked
to school. Today, only about 15 percent walk or
bike.
• There are more than three times as many
overweight children today as there were 25 years
ago.
• As much as 20 to 30% of morning rush hour traffic
can be parents driving children to schools.
What encourages bicycling &
walking?
• Land use mix.
• Network of bike &
pedestrian facilities.
• Site design and
details.
• Safety.
Safe Routes to School programs seek to make it
safe, convenient and fun for children to walk and
bike to school.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
What else?
• Facilitate projects and activities in the
vicinity of schools that will:
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Improve safety
Reduce traffic
Reduce air pollution
Reduce fuel consumption
Improve health, reduce risk of obesity
The
5
E’s
The most successful
programs incorporate
the 5Es:
• Evaluation
• Education
• Encouragement
• Engineering
• Enforcement
Evaluation
• Community assessments of
walking/bicycling facilities and programs
• Survey parents and kids
• Tracking and performance monitoring
Education
• Teach kids about safe behaviors when
walking and biking
• School curriculum covering transportation,
health and environmental issues
• SRTS trainings
• Community Education/Awareness for
increased safety
Encouragement
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Walking School Bus/Bike Train
Frequent Rider Miles
Walk to School Day/Week
Walk and Roll Wednesdays
Media attention
Public awareness campaigns
Engineering
• Pedestrian and bicycle improvements
• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities
– Sidewalks, trails, bike paths
• Traffic calming
• Secure bicycle parking facilities
Enforcement
• Working with local
police to enforce speed
zones
• Crossing guards
• Helmet use
enforcement
• Pedestrian “stings”
Barriers
• School Siting issues
• Individual barriers
• Community Issues
What do parents and kids say?
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Distance 62%
Traffic 30%
Weather 19%
Other 15%
Crime 12%
School Policy 6%
Barriers to Children Walking to or from School—United States, 2004. MMWR 2005
Environments support cars, not people
Who should be involved?
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School administrators, teachers
Parents, students, school nurses
Law enforcement officers
City engineers, planners, elected officials, traffic
safety councils
• Bike and pedestrian advocates
• Neighborhood associations, business community,
etc.