Common ground: Eight factors that influence walking and biking to school

The primary goals of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are to increase the number and safety of children walking, biking or using other forms of active travel to school (ATS). This study reviewed quantitative and qualitative research and identified eight common factors that influenced the choice of ATS: distance to school, parental fear of traffic and crime, family schedule constraints and values, neighborhood and family resources and culture, weather, and school characteristics. Suggestions were made as to how these barriers and facilitators of ATS could be integrated into the decision to fund local SRTS programs and to improve their effectiveness.

► Synthesizes quantitative and qualitative active travel to school literature.
► Identifies eight common factors that influence active travel to school.
► Discusses how the eight factors could be used to improve Safe Routes to School programs.