Safe Routes to School Plan

long term than people who join a gym.

• One recent study showed that students who joined a “walking school bus” ended up getting more physical activity than their peers. In fact, 65 percent of obese students who participated in the walking program were no longer obese at the end of the school year. • Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the past 30 years, while the number of children walking, biking, and rolling to school has declined. According to the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, 13 percent of students between the ages of five and 14 walked or biked to or from school, compared to 48 percent in 1969. • Did you know? When you walk, bike, or carpool, you’re reducing auto emissions near schools. Students and adults with asthma are particularly sensitive to poor air quality. Approximately 5 million students in the U.S. suffer from asthma, and nearly 13 million school days per year are lost due to asthma-related illnesses. • Did you know that modern cars don’t need to idle? In fact, idling near schools exposes students and vehicle occupants to air pollution (including particulates and noxious emissions), wastes fuel and money, and increases unnecessary wear and tear on car engines. If you are waiting in your car for your child, please don’t idle – you’ll be doing your part to keep young lungs healthy! ENVIRONMENT: AIR QUALITY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESOURCE USE

• Families that walk two miles a day instead of driving will, in one year, prevent 730 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

• Short motor-vehicle trips contribute significant amounts of air pollution because they typically occur while an engine’s pollution control system is cold and ineffective. Thus, shifting 1 percent of short automobile trips to walking or biking decreases emissions by 2 to 4 percent.

• Eight bicycles can be parked in the space required for just one car.

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SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN SHAKOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SHAKOPEE, MN