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July 2015
The National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN) is a project of ChangeLab Solutions. ChangeLab Solutions is a nonprofit organization that provides legal information on matters relating to public health. The legal information in this document does not constitute legal advice or legal representation. For legal advice, readers should consult a lawyer in their state.
Support for this document was provided by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
2015 ChangeLab Solutions
Introduction
Only about one-half of U.S. children and youth ages six to 15 get the recommended 60 daily minutes of physical exercise.ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "National Physical Activity Plan", "given" : "", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2014" ] ] }, "publisher-place" : "Columbia, SC", "title" : "The 2014 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth", "type" : "report" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=00aa2db8-554b-49a2-b24b-0be614ef32e3" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "1" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }1 Walking or bicycling to school is an easy way for children to incorporate physical activity into their dayADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Davison", "given" : "Kirsten K", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Werder", "given" : "Jessica L", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Lawson", "given" : "Catherine T", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Preventing Chronic Disease", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "3", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2008" ] ] }, "title" : "Children's active commuting to school : Current knowledge and future directions", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "5" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=36714975-dc87-4610-a1f2-552f12c3e094" ] }, { "id" : "ITEM-2", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "McMillan", "given" : "Tracy E.", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-2", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2009" ] ] }, "publisher-place" : "San Diego, CA", "title" : "Walking and Biking to School, Physical Activity and Health Outcomes", "type" : "report" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=f0f91dbc-5f13-47c0-84f7-278830269859" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "2,3" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }2,3 and arrive at school focused and ready to learn.ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Trost", "given" : "Stewart G.", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2009" ] ] }, "publisher-place" : "San Diego, CA", "title" : "Active Education: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance", "type" : "report" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=6b700907-c0ae-48ca-9a49-e9db04ca8ced" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "4" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }4 However, today only 13 percent of students walk or bicycle to school, down from nearly 50 percent of students in 1969.ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "National Center for Safe Routes to School", "given" : "", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "November", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011" ] ] }, "publisher-place" : "Chapel Hill, NC", "title" : "How Children Get to School: School Travel Patterns From 1969 to 2009", "type" : "report" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=64a5b826-271e-48fb-8e9f-a9573337a7c8" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "5" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }5 Physical activity and recreational opportunities in schools have decreased during the same time period, creating new challenges for students academic achievement, cognitive skills, and behavior.ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Singh", "given" : "Amika", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Uijtdewilligen", "given" : "Leonie", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Twisk", "given" : "Jos W.R.", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Mechelen", "given" : "Willem", "non-dropping-particle" : "van", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Chinapaw", "given" : "Maj J.M.", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Archives of Pedi", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2012" ] ] }, "page" : "49-55", "title" : "Physical activity and performance at school: a systematic review of the literature including a methodological quality assessment", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "166" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=cf827cfa-376b-4b03-9a4c-28b50cc29183" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "6" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }6 The overall decrease in daily physical activity corresponds with a dramatic increase in childhood obesity that has resulted in a nationwide health epidemic.ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.1001/jama.2012.40", "ISSN" : "1538-3598", "PMID" : "22253364", "abstract" : "CONTEXT: The prevalence of childhood obesity increased in the 1980s and 1990s but there were no significant changes in prevalence between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008 in the United States.\n\nOBJECTIVES: To present the most recent estimates of obesity prevalence in US children and adolescents for 2009-2010 and to investigate trends in obesity prevalence and body mass index (BMI) among children and adolescents between 1999-2000 and 2009-2010.\n\nDESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional analyses of a representative sample (N = 4111) of the US child and adolescent population (birth through 19 years of age) with measured heights and weights from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010.\n\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of high weight-for-recumbent length (\u226595th percentile on the growth charts) among infants and toddlers from birth to 2 years of age and obesity (BMI \u226595th percentile of the BMI-for-age growth charts) among children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years. Analyses of trends in obesity by sex and race/ethnicity, and analyses of trends in BMI within sex-specific age groups for 6 survey periods (1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010) over 12 years.\n\nRESULTS: In 2009-2010, 9.7% (95% CI, 7.6%-12.3%) of infants and toddlers had a high weight-for-recumbent length and 16.9% (95% CI, 15.4%-18.4%) of children and adolescents from 2 through 19 years of age were obese. There was no difference in obesity prevalence among males (P = .62) or females (P = .65) between 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. However, trend analyses over a 12-year period indicated a significant increase in obesity prevalence between 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 in males aged 2 through 19 years (odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10) but not in females (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.98-1.07) per 2-year survey cycle. There was a significant increase in BMI among adolescent males aged 12 through 19 years (P = .04) but not among any other age group or among females.\n\nCONCLUSION: In 2009-2010, the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents was 16.9%; this was not changed compared with 2007-2008.", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Ogden", "given" : "Cynthia L", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Carroll", "given" : "Margaret D", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Kit", "given" : "Brian K", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Flegal", "given" : "Katherine M", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "5", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2012", "2", "1" ] ] }, "page" : "483-90", "title" : "Prevalence of obesity and trends in body mass index among US children and adolescents, 1999-2010.", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "307" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=34828e53-251f-409a-b00c-3d19d13f4e36" ] }, { "id" : "ITEM-2", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Goran", "given" : "M I", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Reynolds", "given" : "K D", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Lindquist", "given" : "C H", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "International Journal of Obesity", "id" : "ITEM-2", "issue" : "Suppl 3", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "1999" ] ] }, "page" : "S18-S33", "title" : "Role of physical activity in the prevention of obesity in children", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "23" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=d6e1d727-1c63-4895-918d-a0ff5c745aa4" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "7,8" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }7,8
Safe Routes to School programs can help communities and school districts encourage active transportation, and make it safer for students and their families to walk and bike to and from school. Walking and bicycling to school also helps reduce air pollutionADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.1183/09031936.00157811", "ISSN" : "1399-3003", "PMID" : "22267764", "abstract" : "Recent research suggests the burden of childhood asthma that is attributable to air pollution has been underestimated in traditional risk assessments, and there are no estimates of these associated costs. We aimed to estimate the yearly childhood asthma-related costs attributable to air pollution for Riverside and Long Beach, CA, USA, including: 1) the indirect and direct costs of healthcare utilisation due to asthma exacerbations linked with traffic-related pollution (TRP); and 2) the costs of health care for asthma cases attributable to local TRP exposure. We calculated costs using estimates from peer-reviewed literature and the authors' analysis of surveys (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, California Health Interview Survey, National Household Travel Survey, and Health Care Utilization Project). A lower-bound estimate of the asthma burden attributable to air pollution was US$18 million yearly. Asthma cases attributable to TRP exposure accounted for almost half of this cost. The cost of bronchitic episodes was a major proportion of both the annual cost of asthma cases attributable to TRP and of pollution-linked exacerbations. Traditional risk assessment methods underestimate both the burden of disease and cost of asthma associated with air pollution, and these costs are borne disproportionately by communities with higher than average TRP.", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Brandt", "given" : "Sylvia J", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Perez", "given" : "Laura", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "K\u00fcnzli", "given" : "Nino", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Lurmann", "given" : "Fred", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "McConnell", "given" : "Rob", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "The European respiratory journal", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "2", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2012", "8" ] ] }, "page" : "363-70", "title" : "Costs of childhood asthma due to traffic-related pollution in two California communities.", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "40" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=3a1a18dd-64cf-4c98-ac36-91109b312f25" ] }, { "id" : "ITEM-2", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.1097/01.ede.0000181308.51440.75", "ISSN" : "1044-3983", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Gauderman", "given" : "W James", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Avol", "given" : "Edward", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Lurmann", "given" : "Fred", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Kuenzli", "given" : "Nino", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Gilliland", "given" : "Frank", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Peters", "given" : "John", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "McConnell", "given" : "Rob", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Epidemiology", "id" : "ITEM-2", "issue" : "6", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2005", "11" ] ] }, "page" : "737-743", "title" : "Childhood Asthma and Exposure to Traffic and Nitrogen Dioxide", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "16" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=c8107eaa-637a-4f78-bd86-fce5b36b3a1d" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "9,10" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }9,10 and traffic congestion around schoolsADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.1542/peds.2012-2182", "ISSN" : "1098-4275", "PMID" : "23319533", "abstract" : "BACKGROUND: In 2005, the US Congress allocated $612 million for a national Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program to encourage walking and bicycling to schools. We analyzed motor vehicle crash data to assess the effectiveness of SRTS interventions in reducing school-aged pedestrian injury in New York City.\n\nMETHODS: Using geocoded motor vehicle crash data for 168\u2009806 pedestrian injuries in New York City between 2001 and 2010, annual pedestrian injury rates per 10\u2009000 population were calculated for different age groups and for census tracts with and without SRTS interventions during school-travel hours (defined as 7 am to 9 am and 2 pm to 4 pm, Monday through Friday during September through June).\n\nRESULTS: During the study period, the annual rate of pedestrian injury decreased 33% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30 to 36) among school-aged children (5- to 19-year-olds) and 14% (95% CI: 12 to 16) in other age groups. The annual rate of school-aged pedestrian injury during school-travel hours decreased 44% (95% CI: 17 to 65) from 8.0 injuries per 10\u2009000 population in the preintervention period (2001-2008) to 4.4 injuries per 10\u2009000 population in the postintervention period (2009-2010) in census tracts with SRTS interventions. The rate remained virtually unchanged in census tracts without SRTS interventions (0% [95% CI: -8 to 8]).\n\nCONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the SRTS program in New York City has contributed to a marked reduction in pedestrian injury in school-aged children.", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Dimaggio", "given" : "Charles", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Li", "given" : "Guohua", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Pediatrics", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "2", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2013", "2" ] ] }, "page" : "290-6", "title" : "Effectiveness of a safe routes to school program in preventing school-aged pedestrian injury.", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "131" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=90cf2cf6-fe44-4176-983f-eafe8b2b0390" ] }, { "id" : "ITEM-2", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "U.S. Department of Transportation", "given" : "", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-2", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2007" ] ] }, "publisher-place" : "Washington, DC", "title" : "Congestion: Who Is Traveling in the Peak?", "type" : "report" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=f3edf83f-ad83-4d1f-9a53-c8fc504164ce" ] }, { "id" : "ITEM-3", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.1016/j.amepre.2011.04.006", "ISSN" : "1873-2607", "PMID" : "21767721", "abstract" : "BACKGROUND: The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity has set a goal of increasing walking and biking to school by 50% within 5 years. Meeting the goal requires a detailed understanding of the current patterns of school travel. PURPOSE: To document nationally representative estimates of the amount of school travel and the modes used to access school in 2009 and compare these levels with 1969, 1995, and 2001. METHODS: The National Household Travel Survey collected data on the travel patterns of 150,147 households in 2008 and 2009. Analyses, conducted in 2010, documented the time, vehicle miles traveled, and modes used by American students to reach school. A binary logit model assessed the influence of trip, child, and household characteristics on the decision to walk to school. RESULTS: In 2009, 12.7% of K-8 students usually walked or biked to school compared with 47.7% in 1969. Rates of walking and biking to school were higher on the trip home from school in each survey year. During the morning peak period, school travel accounted for 5%-7% of vehicle miles traveled in 2009 and 10%-14% of all private vehicles on the road. CONCLUSIONS: There have been sharp increases in driving children to school since 1969 and corresponding decreases in walking to school. This increase is particularly evident in the number of vehicle trips generated by parents dropping children at school and teens driving themselves. The NHTS survey provides a unique opportunity to monitor these trends in the future.", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "McDonald", "given" : "Noreen C", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Brown", "given" : "Austin L", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Marchetti", "given" : "Lauren M", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" }, { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Pedroso", "given" : "Margo S", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "American journal of preventive medicine", "id" : "ITEM-3", "issue" : "2", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011", "8" ] ] }, "page" : "146-51", "publisher" : "Elsevier Inc.", "title" : "U.S. school travel, 2009: An assessment of trends.", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "41" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=2924e256-56fc-423b-9a64-a412e5b89dea" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "11\u201313" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }1113 and build community cohesion. Schools can improve student and community health by raising awareness about active transportation and implementing policies and programs that promote active transportation.
Local School Wellness Policies
All school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program are required to adopt a local school wellness policy. This requirement reflects the essential role schools play in promoting student health, including preventing childhood obesity. Wellness policies must include goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote student wellness.ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "0" ] ] }, "title" : "U.S.C. 1758b(b)(1) (2014).", "type" : "article" }, "uris" : [ "http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=1246003d-da53-4dbe-b9a9-46f494eb8998" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "14" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }14 The wellness policy provisions that promote physical activity typically include a wide range of opportunities for students to be physically active, including physical education, recess, physical activity breaks in the classroom, and before- and after-school programs like intramural or interscholastic sports. School districts can also help promote physical activity by including provisions in their wellness policies that encourage active transportation to and from school.
Walking and biking to school can also be addressed in a stand-alone district policy. Districts that want to develop a comprehensive active transportation policy are encouraged to use the online HYPERLINK "http://changelabsolutions.org/safe-routes/welcome"Safe Routes to School District Policy Workbook, developed by ChangeLab Solutions and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. Districts with stand-alone policies should also address active transportation in their local school wellness policies to ensure students, parents, teachers, and other district staff understand the important role walking and biking to school can play in promoting student health and wellness.
Adopting the Model Local School Wellness Policy Language
ChangeLab Solutions has developed the following model policy provisions to include in a local school wellness policy. These provisions can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the school district. School districts will need to (i) choose which elements to include, (ii) determine where to add the language to their existing local school wellness policies, (iii) make other changes for consistency, and (iv) follow the appropriate procedures for amending their policies. In the model, italicized language provides different options or explains the type of information needed in the blank spaces in the policy. Comments describe the provisions in more detail or provide additional information.
See all of ChangeLab Solutions resources on Safe Routes to School at HYPERLINK "http://www.changelabsolutions.org/childhood-obesity/srts" www.changelabsolutions.org/childhood-obesity/srts.
See all of ChangeLab Solutions resources on Local School Wellness Policies at www.changelabsolutions.org/local-school-wellness-policies.
Model Local School Wellness Policy Language
Encouraging Walking and Bicycling To and From School
Statement of Support: The School District (District) supports walking, bicycling, and other forms of active transportation to and from school and encourages families and District personnel to minimize driving when possible. District shall establish a Safe Routes to School District Task Force to address planning, funding, and policies. District shall encourage individual schools to establish a School Team focused on Safe Routes to School to oversee school planning, funding, and implementation efforts for Safe Routes to School programs, taking into account the unique needs and circumstances of their individual school, their students, and the surrounding neighborhoods and infrastructure. District will provide all students and teachers with traffic safety education and trainings on active transportation skills. The role of the [District Transportation Department] shall include encouraging active transportation to and from school, including through events and activities that promote walking and bicycling, such as walking school buses and bicycle trains.
Facilities and Resources: District will provide storage facilities for bicycles, scooters, and other active transportation devices. District will consider how to ensure the adequate provision of crossing guards. District shall ensure equity in distribution of Safe Routes to School resources; evaluate policies and resources that support or inhibit safe and convenient active transportation to or from school, such as the adequate provision of crossing guards; and identify and pursue available funding (from federal and/or state grants and other sources) to support Safe Routes to School.
Integrating Walking with Busing or Driving: District [shall / shall consider whether to] establish remote drop-off locationsplaces where students can be dropped off by bus or car to safely walk the remainder of the way to schooland shall explore safe routes to bus stop programs to allow students who are bused or driven to incorporate active transportation into their day.
COMMENT: Remote drop-off locations and safe routes to bus stop programs can strike a balance between encouraging active transportation and accommodating students who travel long distances to school. For these reasons, they are especially suitable for rural school districts. For more information on school active transportation policies that can be effective in rural areas, see our comprehensive fact sheet, HYPERLINK "http://changelabsolutions.org/publications/SRTS_rural_districts"On the Move: Safe Routes to School Policies in Rural School Districts.
Walk Audits: District [encourages / requires] individual schools to perform walk audits to assess traffic and safety conditions in the vicinity of each school and identify safety conditions that need mitigation. Where identified problems exist in areas under Districts control, District will seek to mitigate them as promptly as is feasible; where problems are under [Local Jurisdictions] control, District will encourage [Local Jurisdiction] to mitigate them.
School Siting: When determining where to locate new schools or making decisions affecting current school locations, District shall choose locations that support the overall needs of students, their families, and the broader community, with particular attention given to locations that support safe active transportation to and from school, and encourage racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. In addition, when considering new school facilities or consolidating or closing existing facilities, District shall coordinate its land use planning with [Local Jurisdiction]. When constructing a new school or renovating an existing one, District shall design the site to maximize safety and convenience for walking and bicycling to school.
COMMENT: The paragraph on school siting may be particularly appropriate for districts that are anticipating either growth or contraction that will result in the opening or closing of schools. For more information on how school locations can make students healthier and communities stronger, see our HYPERLINK "http://www.changelabsolutions.org/publications/smart-school-siting"Smart School Siting materials.
Photos courtesy of Lydia Daniller, Flickr Creative Commons: SLO Co Bicycle Coalition, EPA Smart Growth, MoBikeFed, and Livia Rojas.
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ADDIN Mendeley Bibliography CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 National Physical Activity Plan. The 2014 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Columbia, SC; 2014.
2 Davison KK, Werder JL, Lawson CT. Childrens active commuting to school / : C u r r e n t k n o w l e d g e a n d f u t u r e d i r e c t i o n s . P r e v . C h r o n i c D i s . 2 0 0 8 ; 5 ( 3 ) .
3 M c M i l l a n T E . W a l k i n g a n d B i k i n g t o S c h o o l , P h y s i c a l A c t i v i t y a n d H e a l t h O u t c o m e s . S a n D i e g o , C A ; 2 0 0 9 .
4 T r o s t S G . A c t i v e E d u c a t i o n : P h y s i c a l E d u c a t i o n , P h y s i c a l A c t i v i t y a n d A c a demic Performance. San Diego, CA; 2009.
5 National Center for Safe Routes to School. How Children Get to School: School Travel Patterns From 1969 to 2009. Chapel Hill, NC; 2011.
6 Singh A, Uijtdewilligen L, Twisk JWR, van Mechelen W, Chinapaw MJM. Physical activity and performance at school: a systematic review of the literature including a methodological quality assessment. Arch. Pedi 2012;166(1):49-55.
7 Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesity and trends in body mass index among US children and adolescents, 1999-2010. JAMA 2012;307(5):483-90. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.40.
8 Goran MI, Reynolds KD, Lindquist CH. Role of physical activity in the prevention of obesity in children. Int. J. Obes. 1999;23(Suppl 3):S18-S33.
9 Brandt SJ, Perez L, Knzli N, Lurmann F, McConnell R. Costs of childhood asthma due to traffic-related pollution in two California communities. Eur. Respir. J. 2012;40(2):363-70. doi:10.1183/09031936.00157811.
10 Gauderman WJ, Avol E, Lurmann F, et al. Childhood Asthma and Exposure to Traffic and Nitrogen Dioxide. Epidemiology 2005;16(6):737-743. doi:10.1097/01.ede.0000181308.51440.75.
11 Dimaggio C, Li G. Effectiveness of a safe routes to school program in preventing school-aged pedestrian injury. Pediatrics 2013;131(2):290-6. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-2182.
12 U.S. Department of Transportation. Congestion: Who Is Traveling in the Peak? Washington, DC; 2007.
13 McDonald NC, Brown AL, Marchetti LM, Pedroso MS. U.S. school travel, 2009: An assessment of trends. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2011;41(2):146-51. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2011.04.006.
14 U.S.C. 1758b(b)(1) (2014).
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