Methodology for safe routes to schools

Parents or other relatives drive children by car provoking congestions, poor air quality, noisy schools’ environment and children’s sedentary lifestyle, and it causes a decrease of safety. Therefore, there is the need to change mobility behaviour of children and their parents, acquire habits on sustainable mobility that will continue as adults, safer streets, healthier children, better air quality, less noise, less congestion, better children’s psychological and psychosocial development. This methodology is targeted to mainly children aged 8-12 years; secondly their parents, tutors and the rest of school community. In order to consolidate sustainable mobility habits there are two key factors necessary. Firstly, to test new behaviour (e.g.: go to school on foot, bike or by bus) and make positive experience. Secondly, to confirm this new behaviour as a habit by understanding the benefits of sustainable mobility from yourself and for the others. Four steps are required to develop this methodology. Firstly, the initiative. It can be from Parents’ associations/School or municipalities (SUMPS). There is a first meeting with the municipality, the school management team and parents school association. Then, a safe routes project that includes an evaluation/diagnosis (how children go/return to school and families’ opinion about the routes and different transport modes), as well as proposals on infrastructures, education and communication. And finally the implementation and evaluation.