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Safe Routes Home


Getting Involved


Safe Routes Program | Resources

What can I do with my school or neighborhood?
What can I do on my own?
What are the basic steps?

What are the basic steps?

This is a link to the national Safe Routes to School Toolkit – the complete guide and handbook to developing a Safe Routes to School program. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/saferouteshtml/index.html

A typical SR2S process includes the following steps.

  1. Identify interest and form a School Safety Committee or SR2S Committee.
  2. Review school policy relevant to travel and physical activity.
  3. Obtain a map of the neighborhood and school area.
  4. Analyze the existing school travel environment. Identify the "perceived" traffic safety problems and locations.
    a. Walk the school neighborhood and complete Walkability and Bikability Checklists.
    b. Note problems and locations on your neighborhood/school area map.
  5. Conduct surveys of parent, student, and staff travel behaviors and attitudes.
    a. Identify the barriers to walking and biking to school.
    b. Identify "perceived" traffic safety problems and locations.
    c. Identify existing walking and biking routes.
  6. Request a traffic investigation (data collection and field studies) from Portland Transportation to identify the "real" problems.
  7. Identify solutions using the "4Es" and policy changes if applicable.
  8. Identify potential funding sources for improvements.
  9. Implement improvements.
  10. Based on the improvements, identify recommended safest routes for walking and biking to school on the school maps. Work with Portland Transportation to customize your SR2S maps.
  11. Distribute Safe Routes map to students, parents, staff, and neighborhood association or notify them it is available on the web.
  12. Hold a special event to promote and celebrate your SR2S plan.

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