April 24, 2002
PROMOTING WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL ...
FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES
What? A Safe Routes to School Workshop to provide ideas for community initiatives, traffic calming projects and school-based promotion programs to get more children walking and biking safely to schools in northeastern Illinois.
Where? Harold Washington Library (400 S. State Street, Multi-Purpose Room, Lower Level)
When? Friday, May 10, 9am-3pm (please see attached schedule)
Who? Speakers
- Mr. Richard Killingsworth, of Active Living by Design, who is a nationally recognized expert on the connection between transportation options and children's health.
- Ms. Wendi Kallins, of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, whose work has increased walking and biking trips to schools in Marin County by 57%.
- Local transportation planners, physicians, educators and parent advocates working on Safe Routes to School projects in northeastern Illinois.
Forty years ago, school bells rang and neighborhood streets filled with the sounds of children walking, running, meandering and biking to the playgrounds, home, or an after-school job. Today's scene is often different: buses and caregivers jockey for position and idle their engines as they wait to whisk kids away to their after-school destinations.
Community and family structures have evolved immensely in the last four decades: car use has increased, fewer parents stay at home, communities have spread out and concern about traffic safety and personal security has increased. These changes have affected children's transportation habits. The Center for Disease Control estimates that the percentage of children walking and biking to school has dropped from 50 to 10 percent in the last four decade.
But although most children are now spared the proverbial mile walk through a blizzard to get to school, concern is growing that this change in transportation habits is contributing to drastic societal changes, such as:
Increased sedentary lifestyles and health problems in young people. This includes alarming increases in asthma rates and childhood obesity. Twenty-two percent of US children are obese; one in four is overweight. Increased traffic congestion. Some studies attribute up to 27% of morning traffic to school-related trips. Increased stress on caregivers. Married women with school-aged children average 20% more daily auto trips than all other women. Irreparable loss of a way of life. In 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included neighborhood schools on its list of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places. Decreased independence and interaction with communities by children. Concern about traffic and personal safety keeps many young people indoors or reliant on others for travel. This deprives them of opportunities to explore their communities and gain independence. The Trend Can Be Reversed!
Communities across the country and world are working to make it easier and safer for children to get around under their own power. California and Texas have recently created funding mechanisms for traffic calming streets near schools. Hundreds of schools in the US participated in the International Walk-to-School Day last year. In our own backyard, the Chicago Department of Transportation is providing bicycle education in elementary schools. Naperville provides parents with maps of "safe routes" to local schools.
This workshop is bringing together national and local experts to discuss strategies for designing communities and streets that are safe for children, and promote the lost practice of walking and biking to school. For more information, please visit www.catsmpo.com/bikeped/saferoutes.htm or call 312.793.0451.
CATS is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) designated by state and local officials to administer the urban transportation planning process for the northeastern Illinois region, which includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, plus a portion of Kendall County.
This Safe Routes to School workshop is being organized by the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) as part of a series of events designed to share best practices information on walking and cycling issues. Future events include a Bike Lanes and Paths Design Workshop (June 20 and 21) and a Greenways and Trails Workshop (September 20). CATS, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization(MPO) for northeastern Illinois, develops the long-range transportation plan for the region.