session 13 - srts/cs low-income mattera

Making SRTS Work in

Low- Income Communities:

Georgia’s Perspective

Abby Mattera

Georgia Safe Routes to School

Resource Center

Georgia Safe Routes to School

Georgia Department of Transportation

•$17.2 million 2005-2009

–Resource Center

–Infrastructure Grants

•Reauthorization pending

Georgia SRTS Resource Center

•Established Summer 2009

•Focus on 4 E’s: Education,

Encouragement, Enforcement,

Evaluation

•6 Coordinators

•180+ Partner Schools

•100+ Community Friends

Georgia SRTS Resource Center

51% of Partner schools are low-income

19%

82%

44%

100%

62%

31%

GA SRTS Resource Center

Supporting low-income communities

–Additional travel plan assistance

–Stakeholder task forces

–Center of resources

Case Study: Knollwood Elementary

Located in Belvedere Park Community in unincorporated DeKalb County

–First-generation suburb

–Median household income: $37,207

School serves 266 children –97% Free/Reduced lunch

–100% Black

–Title 1 School

–School met AYP

Data collected from the 2000 Census and the Georgia Department of Education

Knollwood SRTS Summary

Challenges

• Nonexistent PTA

• Unsupportive administration

• Crime

• Lack of infrastructure

• No parental involvement

• Speeding

Successes

• Weekly parent-led Walking School Buses

• Monthly classroom competitions

• Poster contest

• Bike/Pedestrian education in PE class

• Bike racks installed

• Updated school zone signage and striping

• Increase number and frequency of walkers

• International Walk to School Day

• Georgia Walk to School Day

Knollwood SRTS Program

Knollwood Program Partners

•National Partnership

•Kaiser Permanente*

•DeKalb County Board of Health*

•SRTS State Network

•Teachers

•PATH Foundation

•Georgia State University

•Georgia SRTS Resource Center

*Provided additional funding

Case Study: Capitol View Elementary

Located in the City of Atlanta in Fulton County

–Semi-urban

–Median household income: $24,604

School serves 273 children –89% Free/Reduced lunch

–66.7% Black, 16.7% Asian, 16.7% Multi-Racial

–Title 1 School

–School met AYP

Data collected from the 2000 Census and the Georgia Department of Education

Capitol View SRTS Summary

Challenges

• Identifying champion

• Communicating to

parents

• Dangerous roads

• Crime

Successes

• Fall Walk to School

Day

• Bicycle and

Pedestrian Education

• Safety tips in

newsletter

• Infrastructure

improvements

Capitol View SRTS Program

Capitol View Program Partners

•Principal & Assistant Principal

•PEDS

•City of Atlanta Police Department

•Safe Kids Georgia

•Safe Kids Fulton

•FedEx Worldwide

•Georgia SRTS Resource Center

Case Study: Fairington Elementary

Located in Unincorporated DeKalb County

–Suburban

–Median household income: $26,191

School serves 605 children –85% Free/Reduced lunch

–100% Black

–Title 1 School

–School met AYP

Data collected from the 2000 Census and the Georgia Department of Education

Fairington SRTS Summary

Challenges

• Lack of parental

involvement

• Lack of infrastructure

• Difficulty maintaining

volunteers

• Burnt-out PTA

Successes

• Bicycle/Pedestrian

Education

• Staff-led walking

school buses

• Police enforcement of

speeds

• Increase number of

walkers on event day

Fairington SRTS Program

Fairington Program Partners

•Student Support Specialist

•School Nurse

•Teachers

•Safe Kids DeKalb

•Clean Air Campaign

•FedEx

•Georgia SRTS Resource Center

Case Study: Bethune Elementary

Located in Unincorporated Fulton County –First generation suburb

–Median household income: $39,141

School serves 680 children –85% Free/Reduced lunch

–95.7% Black, 4.3% Hispanic

–Title 1 School

–School met AYP

Data collected from the 2000 Census and the Georgia Department of Education

Bethune SRTS Summary

Challenges

• Lack of parental

involvement

• School administration

resources

• Community

communication

• Crime

• Lack of infrastructure

Successes

• Travel Plan

• Georgia W2S Day

• Parent/PTA Education

• Media attention

• Bike/Ped Education

Day

Bethune SRTS Program

Bethune Program Partners

•School Principal and Counselor

•Parents

•Fulton County Police Department

•Fulton County Public Works

•Fulton County School System

•Safety Street Georgia

•Safe Kids Fulton County

•Georgia SRTS Resource Center

Lessons Learned • Making SRTS work in low-income schools requires a

variety of partners

• Building trust with school is important

• Making program complimentary to current efforts and not feel like a “whole new program”

• Enlist older children to become role models/walking school bus leaders

• Funding goes a long way in getting school buy-in

• When engaging parents: need childcare/food/incentive

• Stress the benefits to the whole community, not just to the schools

Contact Information

Abby Mattera

Metro Atlanta School Outreach Coordinator

Georgia SRTS Resource Center

404.441.5728

abby@saferoutesga.org

Hotline: 877.436.8927

www.SafeRoutesGA.org