WAMPO Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is an essential program and multi-faceted approach using policies, programs, and projects to encourage students to walk, roll, and bike to school. By promoting more active lifestyles, kids can enjoy increased health and benefits from physical activity while having safer spaces to travel. Other community-wide benefits, such as reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality, can also be achieved by reducing family/caretaker car trips to school.
Since 1960, students walking or biking to school in Kansas has declined from nearly 50% to less than 10% today.

WAMPO prioritizes safety for all individuals, especially vulnerable road users such as children and families. In collaboration with schools across the Wichita metropolitan area, WAMPO has launched a regional effort to develop SRTS programs, supportive guidance/materials, and school-specific plans for public and private K-12 schools. Ultimately, WAMPO strives to foster SRTS success throughout the region! Opportunities to engage in this effort will be shared on this webpage as they arise - please check back regularly for more information.
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The SRTS program uses a variety of approaches to meet the overall goal of supporting students to safely walk, roll, and bike to school. These approaches are commonly known as the “Es of SRTS”, and include the following seven approaches:
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Education- Ensure that everyone learns how to travel safely through classes, training, and events that teach the skills needed to walk, bike, and roll safely.
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Encouragement - Promote and generate enthusiasm around walking and bicycling as ways to travel using events, activities, and programs.
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Engineering - Provide infrastructure like sidewalks, paths, and crossings that allow people to walk, bike, and roll safely within the community and to and from schools.
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Engagement - Listen to and empower students, families, teachers, community groups, and school leaders in creating a SRTS program that works uniquely for them.
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Evaluation - Track progress toward achieving goals by reporting on and assessing what approaches work (or don't) and identifying program changes that can improve outcomes.
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Enforcement - Deter unsafe behavior of drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists and encourage all road users to obey traffic laws and share the road safely.
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To learn more about Safe Routes to School and how to get involved, please email wampo@wampo.org.
Additional Safe Routes to School Resources
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Kansas Safe Routes to School Website: https://saferoutes.ksdot.gov/
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Safe Routes Partnership Website: https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/
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National Center for Safe Routes to School Website: https://www.saferoutesinfo.org/