Walk and Bike Barriers and Opportunities
After completing the Walk and Bike Assessments of your school/community neighborhood, identifying the barriers and opportunities of walking and biking to school, such as exploration of school policies, parental attitudes, and concerns will help discover areas within the neighborhoods that need focus and attention.
Asking parents and community members to complete a Walk & Bike Barriers Questionnaire will help identify barriers.
Walk/Bike Barriers and Opportunities consist of:
Safety:
Condition of sidewalks and bike lanes/shoulder- Recommendation: Walk/Bike Assessments, photo documentation
Road Crossings:
- Existence and/or condition of crosswalks and curb ramps
- Traffic problems (speeding, congestion, etc.)
- Recommendation: Walk/Bike Assessments, photo documentation
School Policies:
- Walking – maximum required distance
- Bicycling – permission, bike parking
- Courtesy busing – minimum distance
- Automobile – pickup and drop off locations & procedures
- Arrival and dismissal policies
- Provisions for after school activities
Parents’ Attitudes:
- Knowledge of safety and policies
- Concerns
- Recommendation: Parent Survey in English and a Parent Survey in Spanish, or an informal discussion – measures parents’ readiness to encourage walking and biking to school
