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February Webinar - Questions & Answers II

Questions for Austin Brown, NCSRTS

• Is SRTS a generational precursor to Pre-Motorized Driver's Education?

The safe routes to school idea is more than pre-motorized driver's education because of the various components involved with the program. If you presume that the pre-motorized driver education is model/ed/ after driver’s education then the only element of the program would be education targeting the user. For example, in driver’s education the student learns how to handle various traffic situations, discusses stopping distance, what to do if you run off the road etc. Applying a similar model to pre-motorized drivers education would simply involve educating the pedestrian or bicyclist how to walk safely and/or bicycle safely. Safe routes to school is broader than just educating students. It attempts to educate all users of the transportation system - walkers, bicyclist, motorists etc. While pedestrian safety education is part of a SRTS program it is far from the only element. Another aspect in which SRTS is more than pre motorized driver's education is that the program seeks to include other strategies, such as engineering and enforcement, for creating safer conditions for pedestrians and bicyclist.
Lastly, along with teaching the immediate safety skills children can use as pedestrians another benefit of SRTS is the notion that children who learn pedestrian and bike safety skills will become drivers who are more aware of pedestrian and bicyclists.

• Have any communities established their SR2S team as a non-for-profit org, and if so, are they better equipped for change?
  

It is less common to hear of individuals forming a non-profit prior to beginning work on SRTS than it is to hear of small grassroots SRTS effort that grow into a program and eventually become a non-profit organization. Also, it is not uncommon for SRTS programs that are in the early stages partnering with an existing non-profit. You also may find that an existing non-profit organization learns about SRTS and takes on and grows a SRTS program as one of several program/activities in which they are involved.
Several years ago the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, a non-profit, developed a Safe Routes to School program. Since that time they have worked to build safe routes programs throughout the schools in the county by working with the schools, the community and local government. *To learn more about the benefits and draw backs of building their programs and to see how their non-profit status impacts their ability to change you may want to contact *Wendi Kallins the SRTS Program Director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition. Her phone and email are 415-488-4101 wendi@marinbike.org
Also, there is a case study on the National Centers website from Carson City Nevada. The case describes the works of a local non-profit organization did to build a pilot SRTS program for two local schools. The case details the experience and provides a contact number for calling with additional questions. The case is accessible at http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/case_studies/pdfs/NV.carsoncity.pdf