The cornerstone of SRTS is the acknowledgement that safer walking and biking routes can best be accomplished through a combination of infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects and programs. These are known collectively as the "5 Es": Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, and Evaluation.
Education: Teach students and community members about walking and biking safely. Education can happen through in-school curriculum, bike/ped safety assemblies, newsletter blurbs, tips sheets, and send-home flyers.
Encouragement: Get students and parents excited about walking and biking by hosting special events, walking school buses and bike trains, holding schoolwide competitions, or celebrating walking and biking with student art or other projects.
Enforcement: Reduce negative behaviors such as speeding, double parking, or disobeying traffic signals by working with local law enforcement. Officers can attend walking events to monitor speeding activity or to build relationships with school children and neighbors.
Evaluation: Check to see if your strategies are working! Schools and local governments can record walking and biking rates, parent concerns, and traffic data to evaluate the success of a SRTS program. Evaluation activities can help set goals and establish baseline data for planning projects.
Engineering: Improve the physical walking and biking environment. Schools can work with local government agencies to determine if infrastructure improvements are needed to encourage students to walk or bike to school safely.
SRTS Activities by E's
Below are programs and activities your school can conduct using each of the 5 E's
Education
Enforcement
Encouragement
Evaluation
Engineering
- Walk Audit
- Travel Plan