RLHPF Confrence Booklet 2020 Final - Flipbook - Page 1
Oscar Yeh | University of California, Los Angeles
Southern California Association of Governments
Southern California Association of Governments
Healthier and Safer Living in Regional Planning:
Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Parks in SCAG
Healthier and Safer Living in Regional Planning:
Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Parks in SCAG
Oscar Yeh
Background
This research aims to promote a public
health perspective in regional planning;
to explore how SCAG can further
support jurisdictions in developing Safe
Routes to School/Parks Programs; to
support local jurisdictions as they take
steps to develop healthy and equitable
communities; and to improve access to
essential services, transportation safety,
and physical health.
April, 2020
Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to Parks
Active Mobility
Safety and Health
Costs
Existing Condition
The region is home to nearly four million
public and private school K-12 students,
representing about 21 percent of the
region’s population. The travel demands of
these students have significant impacts on
the regional transportation system. The
SCAG region is also home to many parks,
including protected open space, national
parks, local parks, national forests and,
state and federal open spaces.
Safe Routes to School Strategies
(1) Develop publicly available SRTS tracking
tools; (2) Develop an overarching SCAG Safety
Strategic Plan that includes SRTS components;
(3) Provide more funding to develop SRTS Plans
and High Injury Network; (4) Share best
practices via stakeholder forums/working
groups; (5) Continue to offer SCAG’s Go Human
resources; (6) Strategize with locals to sustain
their programs; (7) Provide technical assistance
for developing active transportation or SRTS
plans; (8) Incorporate SRTS infrastructure,
educational, and encouragement strategies in
the long-range plan, Connect SoCal.
SRTS Tools
Strategic
Plans
58 | Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship
Forums and
Working
Groups
Connect
SoCal
Cardiovascular fitness, body composition, BMI, obesity for
bikers and walkers; Traffic speed, traffic volume, lack of
sidewalks (barriers to active travel to parks); Pedestrian injury
rates; Asthma cases; heart and lung problems.
Cost of hazardous conditions; Cost of potential health problems.
Traffic and
Environment
Engineering improvement; Whether private vehicles are
replaced in a distance easily covered on foot or bike; Air
pollution measurements.
Outcome and
Satisfaction
Resident mental health; Resident satisfaction survey; Tourism
development.
Safe Routes to Parks Strategies
(1) Develop publicly available SRTP tracking
tools for programs; (2) Develop an overarching
SCAG Safety Strategic Plan that includes SRTP
considerations; (3) Provide technical assistance
to develop SRTP Plans and High Injury
Networks that consider serious injuries and
fatalities near parks/open space; (4) Share
SRTP best practices and the use of
prioritization criteria and methodologies; (5)
Hold Safe Routes to Parks stakeholder forums
or working groups; (6) Strategize with locals on
ways to sustain their programs.
SRTP Tools
Go Human
Resources
Technical
Assistance
Focus
Funding
Minutes of physical activity for children and adolescents; Active
commute associated with daily physical activity.
Safe Routes
to Parks
Plans &
HINs
Safety
Strategic
Plan
Stakeholder
Forums
Strategizing
for
Sustaining
Programs
Best
Practices/
Resource
Sharing
Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship | 59