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Section 1: Introduction Safe Routes to School Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is an international movement that uses policies, programs, and infrastructure to encourage youth K-12 to walk and bike to school. SRTS seeks to improve safety conditions near schools and encourage more walking and bicycling when safe to do so. Nationally, walking and biking to school has declined dramatically, from 46 percent in 1969 to just 11 percent in 2017.' SRTS programs like the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) SRTS Program seek to reverse this trend through a collaborative approach. North Olmsted is in the process of building anew elementary school that will consolidate all of their existing elementary schools into a single building located on the current Birch Primary School site but with the main entrance off of Lorain Rd. To be proactive in making it safer for kids to walk or bike to school to this new location, the City of North Olmsted in partnership with North Olmsted City Schools developed a School Travel Plan (STP) to identify improvements and initiatives that could be implemented across the district. Safe Routes to School Benefits Improve safety for students walking and biking. In recent years, Ohio has seen an increase in the number of people involved in crashes while walking.' Safe Routes to School is focused on improving student safety during their journey to and from school. Through infrastructure improvements, walking and biking to school can become a safer and more appealing choice for children and parents. Improve physical and mental health. A healthy lifestyle is best cultivated in people while they are children. Regular physical activity is an integral component of a healthy lifestyle and also contributes to mental well- being. For children, bicycling and walking to school provides opportunities to include physical activity as a part of daily life. Daily physical activity is known to improve academic performance and social, emotional, mental and physical health. Equitable choice for all people. In 2021, the US Census Bureau reported that 7.5 percent of households in Ohio do not have a vehicle. In 2022, it is reported that 4.2% of households in North Olmsted do not have a vehicle.' For families without cars or those with limited access to cars, it is especially important for children to have safe ways to walk or bicycle to school and around their neighborhood. Additionally, Safe Routes to School improvements benefit not only children, but quality of life for neighborhoods and the entire community. Shifting vehicle trips to walking or biking trips reduces greenhouse gas emissions, decreases school -related traffic congestion, reduces transportation costs, and can lead to greater independence for community members who cannot or choose not to drive. I McWnald NC, Brown AL, Marchenl LM, Pedrow MS. LLS. school travel, 2009 an assessment of trends. Am J Prev Med 2011 Aux,all2I:146-51. du 10.1016/Lamepre.20310A.COS. PMIO. 21767723. r Walk. Bike. Ohio Pedestrian Safety Analysis httos//tramportaron.ohio gov/static/programs/WalkBike0hio/Walk Bike Ohio. PedestrianWetvAnalvsis.our US Census htt s. w about wM1 we askeach uestlonn/vvehicles '1sFcy��L�13 A