Daily Reporter Staff

Children today are much less active than their counterparts of 39 years ago. While 50 percent of America's children walked to school in 1969, that number has dropped to 15 percent in 2008.

As a result of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program that's taken shape recently, a Spencer delegation is focused on changing this trend.

Mike Bell, who lived on First Avenue West in Spencer as a child, was hired as a consultant to develop an action plan.

"The town was more populated than it is right now. I think we were at 12,000 then; we're at 11,600 now. So, it's not more congested. And, we can't say that it's actually any less safe. The incidence reports, when we talk to the police, state that's not the case. So, it's a pure perception that it's less-than-safe," Bell said. "This (SRTS) plan is about identifying what the issues are and creating mechanisms to help overcome those issues. Part of it's infrastructure. But a much greater part of it is program awareness, education and volunteerism. Another part of it is community leadership and taking a look at our zoning requirements right now."

Other than local SRTS committee members -- including city staff, school personnel and emergency responders -- only seven community members turned out to offer their opinions on current "areas of concern" during several meetings held over the last three weeks. In order to gain a true perspective on what keeps children from walking or biking to and from school, committee members have taken their case to Spencer students.

"We had great discussion about monsters and dogs and mean ladies and big fences and scary shrubs, as well as what happens if they live in the country or what happens if they live on a big street," Bell recalled.

Over 100 digital cameras were distributed to elementary students at Lincoln, Johnson, Fairview, Iowa Great Lakes Lutheran and Sacred Heart schools this week. Their assignment was to take pictures of all the things they viewed as a "concern" that might keep them from walking to and from school.

In addition, Bell and city staff have taken a photographic inventory of things they view as challenges. They've also monitored the schools at dismissal time over the last several days.

Firsthand student safety tales revealed

As a group of students departed from Lincoln on bicycles one of the days, they biked on busy Fourth Avenue Southwest.

"'And it's pretty damn scary,' is what one sixth grader told us," Bell said about their bike ride home. "Then we followed them home. We saw a parent walking with two kids in the roadbed. As these four bicyclists went around them, an oncoming car needed to swerve out of the way and an oncoming car in front of me needed to stop in order to let that car get around both the bicyclists and the parent with the two kids because there are no sidewalks on either side of that road. The reason they take that road is because if they're trying to get to the other side of Grand (Avenue), that's the only signalized intersection between that and Highway 71. Plus, there are no sidewalks from Lincoln heading east toward Grand, with the exception being on the south side of Seventh."

Bell also told of talking with one mother, who allows her two boys to bike to one elementary school in the morning, but picks them up with a pickup in the afternoon.

"She said, 'We don't feel comfortable with it, especially with the fact that the school no longer monitors those intersections.' We heard stories like that at all the schools," he said. "So, when we talk about kids being safer in the street, I don't think we're asking the kids. I think that's probably the most important thing here. When we're making decisions from a community-leadership standpoint or from a neighborhood standpoint, we understand that maybe it's an inconvenience to develop a sidewalk in our neighborhood. But is it an inconvenience only to us? Maybe it's a greater inconvenience to the kids (not to have them)."

Bell then told of a Fairview Elementary boy who left school and walked on the trail until it ended.

"Once he got off the trail, he walked the curb line until he got to the hump (at 14th Street East and Fifth Avenue East). Then he jumped across. He didn't feel comfortable walking on people's yards, but he also didn't feel comfortable walking in the road," Bell said. "So, he literally walked on the top of the curb until he could get to the sidewalk."

Spencer plan to detail concerns, next steps

SRTS committee members have developed a map identifying pathways, as well as "priority corridors and intersections" to focus on. These include streets with and without sidewalks. The town's sidewalks are then being labeled either in good condition or in need of replacement, corrections or maintenance. Spencer's curbs, roadbeds, lighting, signage and landscaping are also being looked at in the same way.

"We're taking a look at a one-quarter mile radius from all five public and parochial elementary schools. We're also taking a look at the middle school. We will identify areas of need," Bell said. "All those things are considerations we are going to look at and promote in this (SRTS) plan. The premise here, one, is to take a look at infrastructure and see if we can somehow increase the overall integrity of it. Two, and probably the action item we'll take up first and foremost, is to identify from a volunteer standpoint if we can have people come out and help monitor some of these areas of concern so that these kids aren't scared,"

Bell, meanwhile, is compiling a report for city officials. Due Oct. 1, it will focus on identifying areas of "challenge" and suggest alternatives to correct them. Along with some Iowa State University research detailing the overall health enhancement of children who walk one-quarter to one-half miles every day, it will also highlight results from a survey conducted over two days this fall on how all middle school and elementary students in Spencer arrived and depart from school. Results show that of the 1,288 participants, 39 percent arrived in a family car, 30 percent by bus and 15 percent on bike. Another 11 percent walked and 4 percent carpooled.

George Kruger, a Spencer city councilman and former school administrator, noted similar surveys will be conducted this spring and again next fall.

Julie Nemmers, Spencer school district's transportation director, reported the number of in-town students arriving at and departing from school via a school bus is "way up" this school year.

"Our buses are fuller, which tells us that parents aren't using their gas money to take their kids to school," she said. "...If we can get into this Safe Routes to School (program), where parents know their child can get to school safely, won't ride such a crowded bus and be more physically active, there are lots of positives (to be had). There are communities doing this; I think Spencer needs to get on the trail with them."

Bell indicated a grant with "minimal infrastructure costs, but geared much more heavily on communication and developing volunteerism" will also be submitted in the near future. The next phase of the local SRTS process will address more of the infrastructure corrections identified as needing to be made.

"I would contend that this is a project that will be ongoing for the next couple months, so that we can get a better understanding of opportunity, phase it and cost it," he said.

"From the funding standpoint, this plan is going to be a tool," Spencer Park and Recreation Director Delray Bredehoeft added. "The next step would actually be to go after some funding to do some element of this plan, whether it's a small part or large infrastructure."

Committee considering potential challenges

While Bredehoeft acknowledged that sidewalks will probably be a "huge part of the program" recommendations, he also noted another part of the equation being formulated locally is providing a healthier, safer environment for kids to engage in.

"And if it's good for our kids, maybe it's also good for our adults," he said with a smile.

While SRTS committee members believe there is an "absolute need" for what is being discussed, they also realize challenges will be posed from their suggested answers to concerns identified.

"When asked what they think the greatest challenge would be to get something like this implemented, they said, 'The greatest opportunity is our leadership, because we're thrilled with our councilmen. But the greatest challenge is having those councilmen actually stand up to the small minority and say: No, this is actually better. Not only for the kids, but for everybody within the community of Spencer,'" Bell recounted. "So, it's an interesting conversation that we're going to have. And, it is a conversation that will be ongoing. But there is a need to create a greater sense of safety."

For those residents concerned about the potential cost of recommendations being made, Bell said, "I would hope we wouldn't let the cost deter us from doing what's right. The cost, in my mind, can be overcome through a variety of mechanisms. ... Many of them have, literally, no financial consideration; it's just getting up and making sure that we've got eyes and ears on the ground and can help kids across those challenged areas."

The Des Moines-based facilitator concluded by saying, "If we aren't providing them a healthy and safe way to get to school, other than a vehicle, maybe we should question our priorities. ... All you really have to do is ask a child: Would you rather walk on the street or on a sidewalk?"