Safe and accessible transport should a given at school for students that do not have a way to get there.
Enrique Penalosa, advocate for a quality school system for all, once said, “If we’re going to talk about transportation, I would say that the great city is not the one that has highways, but one where a child on a tricycle or bicycle can go safely everywhere.”
Moving from one place to another people need a form of safe and accessible transportation: School is one of the most important places to have that. To provide safe transport to all students, the citizens of Frisco believe that schools should decrease the distance of bus access from two miles because most parents work, therefore most adolescents don’t have rides, the unsafe roadways and construction in the community, and because of dangers such as kidnapping in some communities.
Income
For most families to have a stable financial situation or income both parents or the parents need to work thus, they cannot provide the student with a ride to and from school.
In February 2022, … fifty two percent of all mothers worked full time, compared to eighty five percent of fathers, according to a study done by The Institute of Emergency Issues or IEI.
The study later states that more than half of mothers in the US and almost one hundred percent of dads work eight to ten hours a day, plus most of them also have to make sure that their kids get to school safely. In addition, school time can start between the hours of seven to nine in the morning – the same time as work starts for most companies.
Kelly Aluise, a realtor and mother of two, said that though her job allows for flexible hours, there have been plenty of times when getting her young daughter to school or to an event has interfered with her work, as reported by the NBC News article.
Sometimes companies will be understanding when parents or guardians have children to take to school in the morning; however that is not always the case.
Hours
Even with the schools starting at the same time with work many shifts are longer than school days are so parents picking their kid up is a whole other problem. Mainly there is a few minutes between the attendance bell and when people clock in.
In 2023 there were 748 traffic crashes in Texas school zones, resulting in one death and 14 serious injuries based on reports for the The Texas Department of Transportation.
Imagine how a parent would feel if at work they got a call that your kid was involved in an accident walking to school. People get hurt every day in crashes and accidents, but that shouldn’t be happening in areas where kids should feel protected and out of harm’s way. Additionally, at crosswalks or at the intersections you have a way to know if the car coming next to you can stop or decide that they have more important things to do than wait for you to cross.
Dangers
Dangers that could happen in the community while the students walk or bike home such as kidnapping can have a big impact on all students.
High levels of neighborhood incivilities were associated with lower levels of perceived safety. Living on a block above the median in incivilities was associated with a three hundred and fifty three percent increase in odds of walking to school proven by a case study at Public Med Central (PMC).
In a safer place or places that may seem safer, teens tend to be able to go outside more and to walk to school.
PMC also measured exercise levels and obtained opinions on neighborhood safety and they concluded that residing in a neighborhood perceived to be unsafe at night is a barrier to regular physical activity.
In all neighborhoods people could feel unsafe but it is a lot more common for people to stay indoors anytime of the day if they are living in a community that has a history of any and all types of violence.
Governments both state and national want children of all ages to go to school. What may slip their minds is how are some going to get there. Coming and leaving school should be a safe process for all students.
