The “Walking School Bus” is Making Its Way Through Seattle
Walking School Bus (WSB) programs are growing in popularity as an option to provide an active and safe commute to school. Instead of boarding a bus or being driven, students meet at an arranged starting point and walk with an adult along a set route. This year, Bailey Gatzert Elementary in Seattle established three WSB routes staffed by parent volunteers. Dr. Jason Mendoza, a Robert Wood Johnson Fellow, worked with the school and Feet First to assess how many children walked and their pedestrian safety behaviors. Significant increases in the proportion of children walking to school with an adult were observed in comparison to two control schools at 6 and 12 months. Additionally, the proportion of students transported by car decreased significantly at 12 months.
After a successful year at Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Walking School Bus programs are on the way to several other Seattle Schools. Maple Elementary had its first “Walking School Bus” event in late May and Dearborn Park Elementary is planning an event this month. Feet First is working with several other Seattle schools who will begin WSB programs next year and is developing materials to aid schools in starting their own programs. A key resource includes a Safe Routes to School start-up checklist that has been field-tested by University of Washington MPH students, Rebecca Osborn and Janice Kao. By providing a user-friendly tool and encouraging its use as standard practice, school districts can obtain important baseline information to support program development, evaluation, and sustainability.
Target Audience: Elementary and Middle school students in Seattle Public Schools.
Evaluation: Evaluation methods included a show of hands survey to assess how students traveled to school and direct observations at cross-walks. Two nearby schools were chosen for comparison.
Partners: Seattle Public Schools, Feet First, Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Seattle, University of Washington Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center. Active Living by Design and Washington’s Safe Routes to School program funded the program at Bailey Gatzert. The Group Health Foundation is supporting the program’s expansion to Maple, Dearborn Park, Wing Luke and Emerson Elementary schools.
Lead Agency Role: Feet First promotes the rights and interests of pedestrians and encourages walking in the Puget Sound region through community programs, advocacy, research, and education. Feet First helped to secure grant funding for the Walking School Bus programs and provides assistance with implementation and evaluation.
For More Information:
Jen Cole, Feet First
206.652.2310
Feet First Web site
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Schools, families, and communities can work together to encourage active lifestyles. To achieve this objective, priority recommendations include adoption of school-based curricula and policies that provide quality, daily physical education for all students, encouragement of policies that provide K-12 students with opportunities for physical activity outside of formal PA classes, and provision of opportunities to replace sedentary behaviors, like TV watching.