01090967

Component

As walking and bicycling to school become more important in communities nationwide, increasing attention turns to understanding impediments for these modes of travel. This research focuses on the role of school choice programs in understanding how far away children live from their school and the resulting travel implications. We report the results of a locally administered survey querying how children travel to school and underlying parental attitudes. We surveyed parents from two different school districts—St. Paul and Roseville, Minnesota (US)—to understand differences that exists between neighborhood and magnet schools. Results show local data matter when trying to understand school travel mode. Relative to what national data would suggest, our sample of K-6 students had fewer students walking and traveling by personal vehicle, and more taking the bus. We find that magnet schools draw from broader geographic regions than neighborhood schools. Children attending magnet schools are one-third as likely to walk or bike. Given that almost twice as many children in St. Paul attend magnet schools than neighborhood schools, environmental and economic costs add up quickly. Overall, this research highlights the need to strike balance between the aims of educational policy and programs such as Safe Routes to School.

01084478

08-2912

English

17p

2008

Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures (1) ; Maps (2) ; References (32) ; Tables (6)

Bicycling; Commuting; Mode choice; Neighborhoods; Parents; School buses; School children; Schools; Transportation policy; Walking

Education and Training; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2008 Paper #08-2912

TRIS, TRB

Jan 29 2008 5:23PM