Project Owner: VN Engineers/CTDOT
Services: Transportation Planning /Public Outreach
VN Engineers recently completed a statewide public outreach program called Safe Routes to School (SRTS). With the goal of enabling and encouraging kids, grades K-8 to walk and bike safely to school VN harnessed the flexibility of this federal initiative and infused it with new energy and creativity. Our firm guided and encouraged schools to increase and improve their bike and pedestrian programs using the Five E’s framework: Education, Engineering, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation.
Engineering: Engineering site assessments were completed at 22 schools by our team of engineers. Each site assessment documented arrival and dismissal operations and walking and biking conditions along three or four primary routes to the school. Our team prepared reports for each school.
Education: Our educational components included skills trainings, public events, community and PTA meetings, development of online videos, two websites, and social media sources.
Encouragement: Encouragement strategies are about having fun — they generate excitement and interest in walking and bicycling. We encouraged special events, mileage clubs, contests and ongoing activities to provide ways for parents and children to discover, or rediscover that walking and bicycling are doable and a lot of fun.
Evaluation: VN Engineers, Inc. created an online survey for parents, teachers, and community members to provide feedback and opinions surrounding current walking and biking conditions. We used Survey Monkey to disseminate the surveys and to compile the data so that each school could better prioritize improvements. Our firm also customized several surveys according to the specific needs of each school’s situation and relative infrastructure.
Enforcement: VN Engineers collaborated with local law enforcement, crossing guards, and school resource officers to encourage their continued participation and involvement with kids walking and biking to school. These officers also provided our team with valuable insights and travel data included in the walk audit reports.
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