Safe Routes To School EVALUATION
Collecting initial information and data on how children get to and from school is integral to any successful Safe Routes to School (SRTS) effort. Before we can determine if and how we need to change behavior, we have to discover why and to what extent children are or are not walking and biking to school.
Walkability Audits:
Evaluating the walking environment: how easy or difficult is it to walk to school? A Walkability Audit can help schools, neighborhoods, and communities assess the physical condition of routes to school and identify key areas for improvement. Download these resources for performing a walkability audit at your school or neighborhood:
- Walk Audit Guidebook (PDF)
- Walk Audit Checklist (PDF)
- Walk Audit Invitation and Description (DOC)
- Walk Audit Flyer (DOC)
Additional Walkability and Bikeability checklists in English, Spanish, and other languages are available online through http://walkableamerica.org/ (PDF), http://bicyclinginfo.org/ (PDF), and the California Walk to School headquarters.
Surveys:
Surveys provide data and references to help plan for the greatest participation and success in Safe Routes to School programs. Surveys are also the easiest way to evaluate a program's effect. Plan and determine the best method and time to disseminate and collect surveys.
Different surveys emphasize different priorities (e.g. education, enforcement, engineering, etc.). You may use surveys available through the National Center for Safe Routes to School, or tailor survey questions to work for your situation and needs. All of the surveys listed here are available in both English and Spanish. Some are available in additional languages as well.
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has created a Safe Routes to School Evaluation Handbook (PDF) which includes instructions and forms for all the below mentioned survey methods, as well as additional evaluation methods, including traffic counts, safety observations, and a parent focus group.
PARENT SURVEYS:
The parent survey gathers information about factors that affect whether parents allow their children to walk or bike to school, the presence of safety-related conditions along routes to school, and other background information. Results help determine how to improve opportunities for children to walk or bike to school, and measure parental attitude changes as local SRTS programs occur.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School offers instructions and survey templates, and will even collate all the data for you in two to four weeks (see the "Evaluation Section" of their "Resources" page).
However, Safe Routes to School programs may choose to administer and collate their own survey data, as the National survey does not address site specific problem areas prohibiting walking or biking to school.
In Sebastopol, thanks to funding from a Federal SRTS grant administered by the Sebastopol Public Works Dept, the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition surveyed several schools in 2009 using these customized surveys:
The program also made the survey available online by setting up an account with http://surveymonkey.com/. For more information, contact Tina Panza at saferoutes@bikesonoma.org.
Additional Resource for Creating Parent Survey
- Parent Survey Template (DOC)
Contact the Transportation Land Use Coalition (TALC) directly to receive the following parent survey form in languages other than English at either 510-740-3150 or SR2S@transcoalition.org.
STUDENT ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE SURVEY:
This form helps measure how students get to school and identify changes in student travel behavior to and from schools with SRTS programs.
- Student Arrival/Departure Survey Form (PDF)
- Sample Teacher Instructions for Arrival/Departure Survey (DOC)
- Sample Survey Instruction Letter to Principal (DOC)
Mapping:
It is very helpful, when planning an SRTS program, to know where students live in relation to the school(s). Work with school administration to obtain student addresses and plot locations on a map. This information can help set realistic goals for your program, identify priority routes, and locate the best off site drop off/pick up locations.
A local GIS expert can develop an SRTS map for your program, similar to this Parkside Elementary School map (PDF) that was created for the Sebastopol Safe Routes to School Program by the Sonoma County GIS Department.
Another resource for easily creating an SRTS map with up to 500 addresses is http://www.communitywalk.com/. The site includes tutorials and example maps, and is free. Download instructions for using the Community Walk resource here (PDF).
Thank you to the Humboldt County Partnership for Active Living for helping provide content to help develop this page.
