01047553

Component

We examine the implications of school choice on walkability, school travel mode and overall environmental emissions. In the development of this “proof of concept model” we show—and quantify—how city-wide schools, compared to their neighborhood school counterparts, have: longer routes to school, therefore, fewer children who walk to school, higher system criteria and greenhouse gas emissions, longer travel times and thus more exposure to bus fumes, and overall higher transportation costs. Overall, the city-wide school had six times fewer children walking, 2.5 times as many miles traveled, 2.5 times the system cost, and 2.4-2.6 times the amount of criteria air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. By providing bus service, the overall miles traveled (and resulting emissions) decreased 1.5 times in comparison to the scenario where no bus service was provided, however system costs were 16 percent higher for the neighborhood school and 9 percent more for the city-wide school when bus service was provided (no externality costs were factored in). Still, transportation costs at the neighborhood school were 2.5 times less expensive in both scenarios than the city-wide school. School choice and institutional form seem to have a large impact on travel behavior and merit further study.

01042056

07-0362

English

14p

2007

Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting

CD-ROM

Maps; References (37) ; Tables (4)

Air pollution; Air quality management; Choice models; Greenhouse gases; Greenways; Mode choice; Neighborhoods; School buses; Schools; Travel surveys; Walking

Walk to school

Education and Training; Energy; Environment; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2007 Paper #07-0362

TRIS, TRB

Feb 8 2007 4:55PM