Communities putting prevention to work by creating safe routes to school: A case study in Santa Clara County, California

Using active forms of transportation to travel to and from school is a key way that children can get their daily dose of physical activity and ultimately prevent obesity, reduce air pollution, and lower rates of related chronic disease. Unfortunately, for many children it is not safe or even possible to walk or bike to school. As part of the CPPW initiative in Santa Clara, cities in the county were urged to develop policies that promote Safe Routes to School (SRTS).

As part of the CPPW evaluation, the policy development process was analyzed and observational assessments were conducted to examine environmental/infrastructural support or challenges around schools. As a community engagement strategy, parent and community volunteers were recruited and trained to conduct the observational assessments which consisted of counting individuals utilizing bike and pedestrian pathways around schools during peak times, categorizing environmental factors affecting walking and biking around schools, and collecting self-reported student data on transportation to and from school.

With CPPW and community support, we are in process of working with several cities to develop policies to promote active transportation such as complete streets legislation, corridor zoning, and SRTS resolutions. Preliminary findings from the environmental assessments suggest that engaging the community in the process and analysis is crucial for success and sustainability.

Using policy to improve the built environment, remove barriers, and facilitate active transport is an important vehicle for increasing access to physical activity. Community engagement is also an essential strategy for building support for these measures.