INFO BRIEF What Makes a “Biking” School? How Some Schools Have Pulled Ahead in Cycling Rates www.pedbikeinfo.org Bicycling infrastructure, resources, policies, and Introduction attitudes can all play a role in the likelihood that The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center’s a child will bike to school. This research brief asks analysis of the 2017 National Household Travel the question, what factors are associated with Survey (NHTS) noted that only 1.2% of students high rates of cycling to school at the individual in grades K to 8 usually biked to school. While school level? This study intends to expand the the NHTS data offer a national-level measure of body of knowledge about replicable ways that student travel, a smaller-scale look can provide teachers, administrators, Safe Routes to School further insight. There are some parts of the coordinators, and community leaders can facilitate country, measured at the core-based statistical active transportation. area (CBSA)—a geographic area that consists of one or more counties anchored by an urban Fifteen K-8 schools in Santa Clara County, center with a population of at least 10,000 people California, were selected from a total of 103 CA- and connected via commuting patterns—that based schools that had collected Student Travel have exceptionally high bike-to-school rates. Tally data maintained by the National Center for Investigating how places with much higher than Safe Routes to School within the past three years. average walking or biking rates have instituted Four of the fifteen schools selected were identified robust walking and biking to school practices as demonstrating “positive deviance” from the provides an opportunity for more places to average cycling rate. “Positive deviance” in social replicate those practices (Brookshire et al, 2019). theory represents outlier cases displaying more Based on data from the School Travel Database beneficial outcomes than the average, despite maintained by the National Center for Safe Routes facing similar challenges and having similar access to School, Northern California was identified as to resources. This research also employs the lens one such region. Looking more deeply, multiple of “social practice theory” to consider how social, schools in Santa Clara County, California, that economic, and cultural factors interplay to produce consistently reported to the School Travel positively deviating trends in school-level cycling Database yielded cycling rates greater than ten participation. Specifically, the team borrows from percent. Fifteen K-8 schools representing a range Shove’s and colleagues’ (2012) three elements of cycling rates from this county were selected model of social practices. This model suggests that to explore which factors are associated with social practices result from the interplay among: more cycling while holding other characteristics “materials” (technology, and objects); that could impact cycling outcomes equal. All ”meanings” (images, symbols); and schools in the study (both with low biking rates “competencies” (skills, procedures). and high biking rates) were located in residential neighborhoods surrounded by 25-mph school zone In the context of cycling, for example, the speed limits serving relatively affluent students, presence of bike racks (materials) might alter the majority of whom were students of color. impressions of cycling as a viable school The California Bay Area also enjoys predominantly commute option (meanings), which might fair weather. Nonetheless, communities in other result in strengthened knowledge about cycling areas, especially those with schools in residential (competencies). Additionally, this research areas, can learn from what sets these “biking” integrates other factors that directly relate schools apart. to cycling, such as school cycling policy, local infrastructure, and dedicated cycling staff. 2 Table 1. Bike participation rates in 2017 among positive deviance and control schools in the study sample. x AM Bike SD x PM Bike SD Total number Participation Participation of trips Positive Deviance 14.2% 2.0% 14.0% 2.7% 4312 Control Group 2.8% 2.4% 2.5% 1.8% 8010 school. Researchers at the University of North Methodology Carolina Highway Safety Research Center and The team investigated factors that contribute to Arizona State University developed the rubric varying cycling rates in 15 schools in Santa Clara through an iterative process that included piloting County, California. Information about school the rubric with a sample of school travel experts, cycling rates were accessed from the National modifying rubric elements based upon expert Center of Safe Routes to School’s 2017 Student feedback, and repeating this process a few times Travel Tally. Of the 15 study schools, four were before administering the rubric in the present identified as having “positive deviance”, with study. Due to the research team’s distance from cycling rates more than two standard deviations the study locations, all rubric elements had to be above the mean for both trips to school in the measurable through satellite imagery, internet morning (M = 2.64%, SD = 3.07, N = 103 schools) searches and phone interviews. Each indicator and trips home from school in the afternoon (M = was worth zero to four points, depending on the 2.55%, SD = 3.01) (Table 1). The 15 schools are extent to which the school satisfied qualifications listed in Appendix 1. for each indicator. The total possible score for all The study sample includes schools that vary widely sections was 52. See Appendix 2 for an example of in the proportion of students who regularly ride a completed rubric. a bike between home and school. The statistical The team employed Google Maps, the approach used in this analysis to select positive school website, and interviews with school deviants controlled for students’ grade, as well representatives to determine rubric ratings. as other factors that might explain differences Google Maps satellite imagery and street view among schools, such as school-level demographics were used to identify road features and building and grades served. More than half of all school orientation and to measure bike parking. The populations were students of color, and there was school website provided information about school a study cohort average of 17% Free and Reduced policy, cycling promotional activities, and school Price Meal Program participation. None of the travel information. Semi-structured interviews schools were charter or magnet schools, and a with school representatives, when available, majority of positive deviance schools were middle addressed bike education, resources, activities, schools (three of four), while middle schools and champions. See Appendix 3 for an example represented a minority of control schools list of interview questions. Two schools responded (four of 11). to the team’s request for an interview. A local The research team evaluated schools using a bike Safe Routes to School Coordinator and county school culture rubric comprised of 13 indicators department of health representative were also rooted in social practice theory (Shove et al., interviewed for further information about local 2012). This rubric was divided into two sections: geography and resources. (1) school-level social biking practices; and (2) district-/municipal-level policies and physical environment characteristics surrounding each 3 participation among positive deviant schools Key Findings (Table 4). In fact, only one positive deviance The team collected valid data on eight variables school had any road infrastructure dedicated to for the 15 study schools—four positive deviance cycling within two blocks of the school, whereas schools and 11 control schools. Data were seven schools in the control group were served by recorded for: (1) bike parking; (2) cycling on-road cycling facilities, including three of these infrastructure; (3) school policy; (4) building schools served by a separated trail leading to their orientation; (5) traffic calming; (6) school zone campus boundaries. segmentation; (7) grant program participation; and (8) grades served (see: Table 2, Table 4). School Policy School policies can encourage or restrict behavior, Bike Parking as well as portray “meaning” by stating the In social practice theory, bike parking can serve official attitudes of an institution. Promotive or as both a “material” and “meaning”, indicating descriptive policies may imply that the school that cycling is both common and supported. supports or accommodates cycling to school. The area in square feet devoted to bike parking Students in schools with prohibitive policies may was observably higher in schools with positive be limited in their ability to cycle. The presence deviance compared with bike parking at and tone of school policies related to cycling control schools (Table 2). That is, the mean area were observably different between positively (in sq. ft.) of bike parking is more than five-times deviating and control group schools. For as high for positive deviance schools compared example, three positive deviance schools made with control schools. In this study, the relationship some reference to cycling to school in their between bike parking and biking to school remains policies, with one school including “promotive” unclear. If the bike parking was introduced before language (Table 4). Only one control school there was a high cycling share, it may have had a promotive or descriptive cycling policy. conveyed that cycling