Urban Form Relationships with Youth Travel Mode to School: A Detailed Assessment of Home, School, and Route Characteristics

Approach: This study presents a cross-sectional assessment of relationships between youth travel mode to school and built environment features. A multinomial logit model was used to predict the likelihood of walking, being a passenger, or driving to school based on objectively measured built environment characteristics along the route of each trip, sociodemographic factors and parental perceptions of neighborhood and school quality. The sample consisted of 5,890 one way trips from home to school, and back again and age ranges (N=3,161 children, age 5-10, 11-15, and 16-18). Data were from a two day travel diary in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia in 2001/2002.

Findings: A child's likelihood of walking to school increased 18.4 percent when sidewalk coverage along the route was increased from the median (26.4 percent) to the 60th percentile (36.5 percent). A small intersection density increase along the school route (from 21 intersections/sq km to 22.8) increased the likelihood of 5 to 10 year olds walking by 6.7 percent. Higher parental perception of school quality were positively associated with increased walking. Interconnected street networks (at home and along route) were associated with lower body mass index.

Discussion: Results and methods provide a framework for estimating how changes in neighborhood design around where kids live, attend school, and the connection between the two could impact children's physical activity levels. These estimates allow for better impact assessment of policies, plans and programs related to land use, school location, and transportation investments on public health outcomes related to physical activity for this population.