Rye YMCA Safe Routes to School

1
Rye YMCASafe Routes to School
2
WHY THE Y?

• The YMCAs Activate America initiative is
  designed to
• address nationwide obesity crisis by
• Encouraging healthy eating and physical activity
• Working to improve public spaces (e.g., streets,
  parks) and providing more opportunities for
  physical activity
• SRTS helps us to achieve both objectives!

3
Rye YMCA SRTS Partners

• Cross section of community leaders
• City officials
• School staff
• Law enforcement
• County DOT reps

4
Rye YMCA Focus on school based programs across
3 school districts
5
Rye YMCA Community based programs include SRTS
and walking workshops (we serve 4 communities)
6
Rye YMCA SRTS Programs

• EDUCATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT
• Safety Pledge
• Crosswalks Safety Campaign
• Video PSA contest

7
Rye YMCA SRTS Programs
EDUCATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT Safety Pledge
8
Rye SRTS Safety Pledge

• Goal Long term behavior change!
• Educate parents
• Educate children
• Increase awareness among drivers and
• pedestrians

9

• Parents Safe Driving Pledge
• I promise to
• Never speed through residential streets and
  school zones
• Never talk or text on a hand-held phone while
  driving
• Always wear a seat belt and make sure passengers
  also buckle up
• Stop for pedestrians and bikers in crosswalks
• Never pass a vehicle stopped for a crossing
  pedestrian
• Never run stop signs or red lights
• Never pass a stopped school bus with flashing red
  lights
• Never park in or block a crosswalk
• Always drop children at curbside, never from a
  double-parked car
• Never leave the car idling for more than 3
  minutes (state law)

• Students Safety Pledge
• I promise to
• Always follow traffic signals or the directions
  of a crossing guard
• Always cross the street in a crosswalk make sure
  the driver can see you, has time to stop
• Always look left, right, and left again before
  crossing the street
• Never dart out between parked cars
• Always wear my seat belt when riding in a car
• Always exit the car from the curb side
• Always wear a bike helmet when riding my bike
• Always ride my bike in the same direction as the
  car traffic
• Always use hand signals when turning on my bike
• Never cross a street while on the phone, texting,
  or wearing headphones

10
Rye SRTS Safety Pledge

• Parents Safe Driving Pledge - I promise to
• Never speed through residential streets school
  zones
• Never talk or text on a hand-held phone while
  driving
• Always wear a seat belt. Make sure passengers
  also buckle up
• Stop for pedestrians and bikers in crosswalks
• Never pass a vehicle stopped for a crossing
  pedestrian
• Never run stop signs or red lights
• Never pass a stopped school bus with flashing red
  lights
• Never park in or block a crosswalk
• Always drop children at curbside, never from a
  double-parked car
• Never leave the car idling for more than 3
  minutes (state law)

11
Rye SRTS Safety Pledge

• Students Safety Pledge - I promise to
• Always follow traffic signals or directions of a
  crossing guard
• Always cross the street in a crosswalk make sure
  the driver can see you, has time to stop
• Always look left, right, and left again before
  crossing the street
• Never dart out between parked cars
• Always wear my seat belt when riding in a car
• Always exit the car from the curb side
• Always wear a bike helmet when riding my bike
• Always ride my bike in the same direction as the
  car traffic
• Always use hand signals when turning on my bike
• Never cross a street while on the phone, texting,
  or wearing headphones

12
Rye SRTS- Safety Pledge

• How to get the word out!
• Have kids/parents sign
• Distribute in back to school night packets
• Include in school newsletters
• Discuss at school assemblies
• Hand out during walk to school week
• Go for 100 class participation!
• Hand out every year
• Put it in the local newspapers
• Make posters hang in school lobbies

13
Rye YMCA SRTS Programs
EDUCATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT Crosswalks Safety
Campaign
14
Crosswalks Safety Campaign

• GOAL
• Educate drivers and pedestrians about correct
  crosswalk usage
• Heighten awareness of recent traffic crosswalk
  additions to the school campus
• Reach middle/high school students and parents

15
Crosswalks Safety Campaign

• Components of Direct Mail campaign
• Cover letter
• Car decal
• Myths vs. Reality for Teens and Tweens
• Safety pledge
• Sent to 1000 households

16
Rye YMCA - SRTS Committee meet to stuff envelopes
for crosswalks safety campaign mailing
17
Crosswalks Cover Letter
18
Rye YMCA SRTS Crosswalks Car Decal
19
Crosswalk Safety Myth vs. Reality for Tweens
and Teens How safe is your middle school student
when crossing a busy street as a pedestrian or
cyclist? We parents need to teach more than the
basic rules of STOP, LOOK and LISTEN. Our
community encourages children to walk to school
as much as possible and we want them to arrive
safely. Please review these procedures with your
children and follow the rules yourself you are
the best role model for your children.
20
Crosswalks Safety Campaign

• Educate beyond the mailing
• Conduct interviews on local TV station
• Send out press releases
• Feature on school website
• Distribute at school fairs/fundraisers

21
Rye YMCA SRTS Programs
EDUCATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT Video PSA Contest
22
Rye SRTS Video PSA Contest

• GOALS
• To engage middle and high school students in SRTS
  initiatives
• To educate peers (and the community) about
  traffic and pedestrian safety issues -- through
  the eyes of a teenager
• To support recent infrastructure changes around
  the school campus

23
Rye SRTS Video PSA Contest

• Contest How tos
• Provide relevant incentives for the kids
• Environmental benefits (tie in to Environmental
  Clubs)
• Community service hours
• Cash prizes
• Set rules for the contest
• Length of video
• Mandatory messages (e.g., must mention health,
  environmental benefits of walking/biking)
• Due Date (recommend 2-4 week)

24
Rye SRTS Video PSA Contest

• Rye SRTS Video PSA Contest Rules
• Videos must be no longer than 2 minutes
• Videos must stay on message of encouraging
  students to walk/bike
• Videos should incorporate at least one of these
  reasons health benefits, fitness, decrease in
  traffic and air pollution, better for the
  environment.
• No inappropriate language, dress or behavior
• Judges will consist of a panel from the Safe
  Routes to School Committee, Y board members, and
  school faculty.
• Students are encouraged to contact video
  teachers for more info. Editing bays will be
  available after 3 p.m. to work on this project.
• Entries must be submitted by May 1

25
Rye SRTS Video PSA Contest

• How Tos Contd
• Get the word out!
• Posters
• Flyers
• Morning announcements
• Tie into Environmental Clubs
• Tie in to school Video clubs
• Press releases

26
Rye SRTS Video PSA Contest

• Assemble an esteemed panel of judges
• provide scoring sheets with criteria
• Distribute the video
• School safety assemblies
• Y website
• School website
• Local TV stations

27
Rye SRTS Video Contest Winners!
28
(No Transcript)
29
Rye YMCA SRTS