Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research
Project
STREETS (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools)
Project Overview
The STREETS Study (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) is a five-year (2018 – 2023) natural experiment that is evaluating the City of Austin Safe Routes to School program. In 2016, the City of Austin approved $27.5 million in Mobility Bond Funds for Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects, including protected bike lanes, pedestrian islands, shared use paths, and pedestrian hybrid beacons. Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living Investigators are evaluating these transformative infrastructure changes. The evaluation includes a comparison/control study with schools in Central Texas.
The City of Austin Safe Routes to School program information is available online.
The STREETS (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) study includes two rigorous approaches:
Active Commuting to School (cross-sectional) study:
- Participants: 3rd – 5th grade classroom teachers at 95 schools in Central Texas are participating in this project
- Project length: biannual measurements between Fall 2018 and Spring 2024
- Measurements: classroom active commuting to school tally and school policy survey
Physical Activity in Children (cohort) study:
- Participants: following 3rd graders from 31 schools in Central Texas for 3 years (3rd – 5th grade)
- Project length: Fall 2018 to Spring 2024
- Measurements: objective physical activity as measured by accelerometers; parent and child surveys; school environmental audits
STREETS Final Report 2024 for Schools
STREETS Research Study Video
The City of Austin Safe Routes to School program information is available online.
For more information about this project, please contact:
Sarah S. Bentley, MPH
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living
1616 Guadalupe Street, Suite 6.300
Austin, Texas 78701
[email protected]
512-482-6152
Project Staff
Project personnel are listed below. Click on a name to view the individual profile.
Ganzar LA, Salvo D, Kohl HK, Hoelscher DM. Associations of COVID-19-related Changes across Domains of Children’s Physical Activity and Demographic Characteristics. Poster presentation at St. David's CHPR Conference, Virtual, February 21, 2021
Ganzar, L. A., Burford, K., Salvo, D., Spoon, C., Sallis, J. F., & Hoelscher, D. M. (2024). Development, scoring, and reliability for the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes for Safe Routes to School (MAPS-SRTS) instrument. BMC public health, 24(1), 1-13.
Swinney, K.; Zhang, Y.; Pérez, A.; Salvo, D.; Ganzar, L.A.; Hoelscher, D.M. Parent Self-Efficacy for Child Active Commuting Score is Associated with Child School Commute Habits. Active Living Conference 2025.
Hoelscher, D. (Presenter); Zhang, Y.; Ganzar, L.A.; Lanza, K.; Salvo, D.; Bentley, S.; Pérez, A. Evaluating the Impact of the Safe Routes to School Infrastructure on Active Commuting in Central Texas Schools. Active Living Conference 2025.
Burford, K.; Salvo, D.; Kohl, H.; Ganzar, L.A.; Bauer, C.; Resendiz, E.; Zhang, Y.; Hoelscher, D. Examination of Neighborhood and Perceived Traffic-Related Safety Factors Associated with Active Commuting to School in a Large Urban City. (2025) Active Living Conference.
Ganzar, L.A., DrPH, MPH; Burford, K., PhD; Salvo, D., PhD; Spoon, C.; Sallis, J.F., PhD; Hoelscher, D.M., PhD, RDN, LD, CNS, FISBNPA. Methods for Developing and Assessing Reliability of a Micro-Scale, Built Environment Audit Tool for Research and Evaluation of Active Commuting to School. Active Living Conference 2025.
Swinney, K.; Zhang, Y.; Ganzar, L.A.; Perez, A.; Salvo, D.; Bentley, S.; Hoelscher, D.M. Association between Parental Perceptions and Active Commuting to School in Children. TEXPOP 2025