Evaluating the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Transportation Program in Socially Vulnerable Communities in San Diego County, California

Child safety concerns are among the strongest impediments to children walking or biking to school, but some students must walk or bike due to financial or other circumstances. These travel modes are more than twice as common among students from low-income households than students from higher income households. The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program fosters opportunities for students to walk and bike to school safely and routinely. This study provides insights into the SRTS program’s effectiveness and potential to improve walking and biking safety in socially vulnerable communities by evaluating the program’s impact on schools in the Chula Vista Elementary School District, a vulnerable area in San Diego County. (i) A linear regression model was used to assess the program’s impact on each school, and a logistic regression model was employed to identify factors influencing students’ walking behavior. (ii) An SRTS web-based interactive tool (ArcGIS Experience) was developed to identify traffic incident hot spots and facilitate future routing improvements. (iii) A virtual reality (VR) road safety training tool for children was developed, and a case study at Feaster Charter Elementary School was conducted to assess its effectiveness. Twenty-six students played the VR game before and after watching traffic safety educational videos, and observations from the VR session were recorded. (iv) The outreach and deliverables from this study strengthened community collaboration across San Diego County.