OTREC-RR-11-01

Walking to school declined from 42%%%% of 5-18 year olds in 1969 to 16%%%% in 2001. The US Dept. of Transportation responded to this dramatic decrease with the Safe Routes to School program, emphasizing infrastructure like sidewalks and crosswalks. Recent research shows that 2 of 3 children who live in walking distance but are currently driven to school do so because it is more convenient for parents. Policymakers and planners have few tools to estimate the effectiveness of SRTS interventions. We used a survey to better understand how SRTS interventions affect walking rates, identifying how parental attitudes and time constraints affect intervention effectiveness. This study compares results of stated preferences with on-the-ground evaluations of Portland’s SRTS program (collected concurrently for a separate project.) The project conducted a series of focus groups with parents at schools in the SRTS program. Focus groups results provide more in-depth information about parental attitudes and time constraints.