Travel and Environmental Implications of School Siting

Abstract

A variety of initiatives have been developed to help schools stay or locate at the center of communities. This study investigates the implications of school location for travel and the environment. The study is the first to empirically examine the relationship between school location, the built environment around schools, mode choices for trips to school and air emission impacts of these choices. Findings show that school proximity to students matters and students with shorter walk and bike times to and from school are more likely to walk and bike. The built environment also influences travel choices, with student traveling through higher-quality environments being more likely to bicycle and walk. Because of travel behavior differences, school location has an impact on air emissions. Centrally located schools that can be reached by walking and bicycling reduce air pollution. These results suggest that actions to improve students' walking environments, and to support communities that wish to locate schools in neighborhoods, will result in increases in students walking and biking to school. Increased walking and biking can reduce emissions related to auto travel and improve environmental quality.