December 2002, ATKINS, Road Traffic and Safety
In many countries a lot of effort is raised to ensure safe routes to school. This intiative was initiated in the 70s in Denmark, where every child has a right to a safe route to school and where government investment over many years has made this a reality: 80% of Danish children cycle or walk to school. An evaluation study of 45 school route projects in the municipality of Odense was made in 2002.
Since the end of the 1970s, studies of routes to schools have been conducted within the Municipality of Odense Local authorities in Denmark have a statutory duty to make dangerous routes to schools safe, and an obligation to provide suitable transport while measures to make these routes safe are implemented. In the Municipality of Odense, a systematic programme of studies of 45 schools has been conducted. Every year a sum is earmarked in the municipal investment budget to cover projects relating to school routes.
Such projects are also referred to as traffic calming projects, and encompass all manner of road constructions of diverse scope and nature. Between 1986 and 1999 the municipality undertook a total of 108 projects concerning routes to schools. These included low-speed roads, traffic calming, various types of tracks and paths for cyclists and pedestrians, various solutions at intersections, paving, traffic lights, roundabouts, raised surfaces and much more besides.