Safe Routes to School is an international movement that promotes walking and biking to school. The programs history began in Denmark in the 1970s, which had an alarming number of child fatalities due to traffic accidents. The Safe Routes movement did not reach the United States until 1997 when The Bronx, N.Y. received local funds to implement the program. The following year Congress funded pilot SRTS programs in Marin County, California and Arlington, Massachusetts through the US DOT. Within one year of the launch of the pilot programs, many other grassroots Safe Routes to School efforts were underway across the U.S.

    The benefits of walking and biking to school are important to the entire community for many reasons. Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the past 30 years, while the number of children walking and biking to school has declined. According to the 2001 National Household Travel Survey, less than 16 percent of students between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or biked to or from school, compared to 42 percent in 1969. Walking and biking to school, a source of daily activity for children, is made more difficult because of many safety hazards. In addition, Safe Routes to School Plans can reduce fuel consumption, improve air quality around our schools, and increase community security, accessibility and involvement.

    In 2004, Onalaska began a Safe Routes to School pilot program at Irving Pertzsch Elementary. Information from parent surveys, police data, student distribution and walking audits to name a few went into the creation of the 9 walking routes. A color brochure featuring artwork from IP students was distributed at a Safe Routes to School kickoff held on May 8th, 2006. School officials, members of the Coulee Region Childhood Obesity Coalition as well as Planning Department staff worked together to make the Safe Routes program a reality. An education and encouragement campaign to promote Safe Routes to School will begin in April, 2008.

    The City of Onalaska was awarded a SRTS planning grant in July, 2007 through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to develop Safe Routes to School plans at Northern Hills Elementary and Onalaska Middle School. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation hired Schreiber/Anderson Associates, statewide experts in pedestrian and bicycle planning, to support our efforts. A Safe Routes to School plan will be prepared over the next 12 months with a finalized plan written by June/July, 2008. The plan will be updated on a regular basis depending on survey results completed annually. The planning process phases are as follows:

        l Meeting #1 - September 20th, 2007 - Introduce SRTS plan process, review issues and concerns, develop Vision/Goals

         o Student, parent and teacher surveys completed and returned

         o Walking audits of conditions within ¼ mile of each school - October 12th, 2007

    l Meeting #2 - December 6th, 2007 - Community Forum and Brainstorming

        l Meeting #3 - February 7, 2008 - 3:30 - Fire Dept. Training Room - City Hall

            o Discussion of draft of Chapter 4- Recommendations

            o Began work on an action plan to determine what recommendations to include in grant application

            o Viewed Site Assessment Maps

        l Meeting #4 - February 21, 2008 - 3:30 in Room 112 - City Hall

            o Task Force discussed cost and feasibility of future infrastructure changes that include:

        l Meeting #5 - March 12, 2008 - 3:30 in Room 112 - City Hall

            o Discussed educational and encouragement activities to conduct in 2009 including.