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.