What is Safe Routes to School?
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) was created by a special provision
of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation
Equity Act - A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Members of
Congress wanted to include an opportunity to promote safe
walking and bicycling to school for school children.
What are the Purposes of the Program?
The Safe Routes to School Program has three specific goals:
- Encourage children to walk and bike to school.
- Make it safe for children to do so.
- Help with planning projects that will improve safety and
reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution.
How is the Program Funded?
Congress provided funding to states through SAFETEA-LU for
Federal fiscal years 2005 - 2009. Each state has at least $1
million; some have much more.
How Can My School System Participate?
Each state can establish its own application process. You
should call your state SRTS Coordinator to find out the process
in your state. To identify your coordinator, please see the list of
Safe Routes to School State Coordinators.
Are There Restrictions on How the Money Can be Spent?
Yes. Between 10% and 30% of the funds in a state must be spent
on public awareness and educational campaigns. Between 70%
and 90% of the total state funds must be spent on actual project
planning and construction activities that will improve the ability of
children to walk to school.
What Types of "Projects" Can be Built?
The law allows wide discretion on the local level as to what would
be best for the children. Eligible activities include upgrading signs,
road markings, using safety devices, and building sidewalks where
none exist.
How Can School Zone Safety Supply Help?
Many school administrators are unfamiliar with traffic control and
safety devices. Also, many smaller communities do not have a
traffic engineer or planner on staff. The purpose of this site
is to give school administrators a brief overview of safety devices
that might be incorporated into a local plan. We hope that you will
find this site of use in planning your community's Safe Routes
to School program. We look forward to working with you on your
SRTS project. We have designed this site to provide you with several
options for improving the safety of your school zone.
Which Safety Devices Should I Use?
A variety of traffic control and safety devices that can increase the safety of students who walk and bike to school, are represented on this website. Some of these devices improve conditions by increasing the visibility of signs and crosswalks, while others improve conditions by reducing speeds or physically separating students from vehicular traffic.
The devices chosen by your school will depend on the desired outcome.
Since the desired outcome may vary from site to site, so will the selected devices. At some sites, the implementation of one device may suffice, while at other sites a combination of devices may be required. Overall, multiple devices implemented at one site, as well as across sites, along school routes and at school crossings should be viewed as a "system of devices" that improves the safety of students who walk and bike to school.
For example, fluorescent yellow-green signs and reflective sleeves, as well as flashing warning beacons, can be used to alert drivers sooner to situations that require special caution or reduced speeds. At school crossings, in-street pedestrian crossing signs and crosswalk marking upgrades could be used to increase the visibility of the crossing. To reduce speeds along school routes and at school crossings, vehicle speed feedback signs and speed humps may be used.
It is important to consult with a local traffic engineer and/or public works agency about installing traffic control and safety devices. In some cases, a location may need to meet certain criteria to qualify for a specific treatment. Also, the device itself may need to meet certain design criteria. Furthermore, pedestrian safety depends upon public understanding of the traffic control devices; therefore, uniform application of traffic control and safety devices is desired. To achieve uniformity along school routes and at school crossings, comparable traffic situations should to be treated in a consistent manner.
Below you will find links to our most popular products that help to enhance the safety of your school zones:
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