Travel and environmental implications of school siting.
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2003-10-01
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TRIS Online Accession Number:972637
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OCLC Number:77481529
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Abstract:Over the next few decades, thousands of schools will be built
or renovated.
The planning decisions
around that construction and renovation will have important implications for education and community quality of
life.
Recent trends in travel to
school have raised concerns at
federal, state, and local levels. In 2001, less than
15 percent of
students between the ages of five and
15 walked to or from
school,
and 1 percent biked.
In
1969, 48 percent of students walked or biked to
school. In response, governments
at every
level
have
launched a variety
of policy initiatives.
These include state and local “Safe Routes to School
Programs,”
and a federal Kids Walk-to-School Campaign. In addition, a variety of initiatives
are helping schools stay
or locate at the center of communities.
This study evaluates the travel and environmental implications of
these latter initiatives, and of trends toward constructing schools that are not located at the center of
communities,
and are not reachable by
walking or bicycling. In short, it seeks to find the implications of
school location for travel and the environment.
This
study is the first to
empirically examine the relationship between
school location, the built environment
around schools,
mode choices for trips to school, and
air
emissions impacts of those choices. It finds that:
1. School proximity to students matters. Students with shorter walk and bike times to or from school are more likely to walk and bike.
2. The built environment influences travel
choices.
Students traveling
through higher-quality
environments
are
more likely to bicycle and walk.
3. Because of travel behavior differences, school location has an impact on air emissions. Centrally
located schools that can be reached by walking and
bicycling reduce air pollution.
The results suggest that actions to improve students’ walking environments, and to support communities
that wish to locate schools in neighborhoods, will result in increases in student
walking and
biking to
school. Increased walking and biking can reduce emissions related to auto travel
and improve
environmental quality.
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