Chapter 10: Conclusion

C HA P T E R 1 0: C O N C L U S I ON

This Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plan is intended to guide the City of Ashby and the Ashby School District toward their collective goal of making it easier, safer and more fun for students to walk and bicycle to and from school. Where it is already safe, encourage students to walk and bicycle to school. Where it is less than ideally safe, improve the existing conditions to make it as safe as practically possible with an eye towards walking and bicycling comfort. When children get exercise on their way to and from school they:

1. Arrive more alert and able to focus, 2. Get a large portion of their recommended daily physical activity, 3. Are more likely to be a healthy weight, 4. Demonstrate improved test scores and 5. Are less likely to suffer from anxiety.

The SRTS recommendations address the “5 E’s” and were created to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, encourage students to consider walking or bicycling and instill an active lifestyle. The recommendations in this report were formed based on examining the existing conditions around the school, community input and results from the parent surveys and student tallies. SRTS plans are the most successful when programs involve the entire community and when they are integrated into current and future policies. If at any time, the City and School District of Ashby have any questions of how to best enact the recommendations in this report, whether that be funding sources, best policies and practices, etc., they are encouraged to contact the staff at West Central Initiative and/or Horizon SHIP.

P a g e 90 | Chapter 10: Conclusion