BACKGROUND
Walking to school is an important contributor to the daily physical activity of children. However, little is known about how many children live within a reasonable and safe walking distance from school.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to estimate the proportion of children who live within a reasonable and safe walking distance from school in Georgia.
METHODS
A list of schools, address information, and enrollment data from the 1999-2000 school year for all public schools (n=1,887) in Georgia was obtained from the Georgia Department of Education. ArcGIS software was used to determine the precise location of the schools and perimeters of areas (buffers) around schools. Reasonable walking distance to school was defined as half mile or one mile distance via the existing street network, depending on age of the student. The perimeters of areas were categorized as Impedance-based Pedestrian Catchment Areas (IPCA) which are walking areas where high speed roads have been removed. For this analysis, two IPCAs were utilized; IPCA 25 and IPCA 35. IPCA 25 are walking areas around schools where streets having a speed limit >25 miles per hour (mph) have been removed. IPCA 35 are walking areas around schools where streets with speed limits > 35 mph have been removed. IPCA 25 was used to analyze elementary school walkers while IPCA 35 was used to analyze middle and high school walkers. The estimated number of children by age and socio-demographic characteristics within each network and IPCA buffer were derived from 2000 census block information. Potential walker estimates were calculated by dividing the number of school age children in a network and IPCA buffer by the enrollment for each school. Street connectivity data was compiled for each network and IPCA buffer and included total street length and density, intersection density, and ratio of 3,4, and 5 way intersections to all intersections and cul-de-sacs. SAS was used to analyze the mean potential walkers by socio-demographic characteristics (racial composition, age of housing unit, population density, median household income, urbanicity) and street connectivity for each school level (elementary, middle, and high) and buffer (network and IPCA).
RESULTS
The mean potential walker estimate for elementary schools in Georgia for the half mile network buffer was 8% and 6% for the half mile IPCA 25 buffer. The mean potential walker estimate for the one mile network buffer was 12% for middle schools and 7% for high schools in Georgia. The mean potential walker estimate for the one mile IPCA 35 buffer was 11% for middle schools and 6% for high schools in Georgia. Schools with greatest potential to walk were located in neighborhoods with high street connectivity.
CONCLUSIONS
Few school children in Georgia can walk a safe and reasonable distance to school. Walk to school programs should target schools located in neighborhoods with high residential density, street connectivity, and appropriate speed limit around the schools. Maximizing the number of children who can walk to school should be a factor in the selection of sites for new schools.
