Safe Routes to School is a community based initiative where the community works together to create a Safe Routes to School Improvement Plan. The Safe Routes to School Program promotes walking and biking to school, and addresses safety concerns of parents by educating the public, fostering communication with codes and traffic enforcement personnel, and exploring ways to make streets safer. Components of the Safe Routes to Schools Program include but are not limited to the five "E’s," which are:

Engineering – including a variety of street design techniques that can reduce traffic
volumes, decrease speed, and improve safety. This includes, signage, re-timing of lights, sidewalk improvements, etc.

Education – including teaching motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists about their responsibilities about traffic rules, while promoting activities that encourage walking and biking.

Enforcement – including working with community policing, codes enforcement and neighborhood watch groups to identify problem areas, and an improved enforcement.

Encouragement - using events and activities to promote walking and biking.

Evaluation – monitoring and documenting outcomes and trends through the collection of data, including the collection of data before and after evaluation(s).

Other key components to the aforementioned "E’s" are:

• Mapping of routes to schools
• Teach health, fitness, traffic and street safety and environmental awareness in the classroom
• Make improvements to preferred routes, i.e. mowing tall weeds, fixing crumbling sidewalks, better street lighting, etc.

Components on a broader level:

• Work with after school programs
• Work with the community to identify Safe Places along preferred routes.

By participating in this exciting program, you will help raise awareness about the need to:

• Reinforce children's good traffic safety skills
• Remind adults to drive safely in school zones
• Create and maintain safe places for children to walk within their neighborhood, especially on trips to and from schools.
• Identify specific steps people can take to make our community more pedestrian friendly and a safer community
• Promote the fact that children need regular physical activity to stay strong and healthy
• Encourage families to have fun and spend time together simply by walking – the easiest way to stay healthy.
• Be a part of making our community stronger and safer.

Benefits of the plan:

• Will address the specific needs we have in our community for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure improvements.
• Safer routes to schools and for all pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Will make our community stronger and safer.
• It’s a Win/Win – for our schools, our children, and our community.

And much more...

Be a part of making a difference for our community, and remember…
Be Safe, Be Healthy, Be Aware

Mansfield Safe Routes to School
c/o Mansfield Litter Prevention and Recycling
30 North Diamond Street
Mansfield, Ohio 44902
Phone: 419-755-9699
Fax: 419-755-9469
E-mail: srts@mansfieldcity.com