HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-02-11; Cool Rides Safe Routes to School Carpool Program (Districts - All); Gomez, PazTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date Q../4,ki CA ✓ CC L
CM ✓ ACM ✓ DCM (3).Jf.._
Feb. 11, 2021
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Council Memorandum
Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, PublisJN-0,fkS
Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager ~
Cool Rides Safe Routes to School Carpool Program (Districts -All)
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID #2021034
This memorandum provides an overview of the city's Safe Routes to School public outreach pilot
carpool program called Cool Rides.
Background
Safe Routes to School is an umbrella term that includes programs that encourage alternatives to
driving individual students to school. Walking and biking are the primary focus of Safe Routes to
School programs; however, carpooling and transit use are recommended for students who live too far
away to walk or bike. All these alternative modes provide benefits, including easing traffic congestion
around school sites and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Cool Rides, a school-based carpool program, was developed as part of the city's Climate Action Plan
to promote transportation demand management by encouraging alternatives to driving individual
students to school. The creation and implementation of Cool Rides was possible because of the
resounding support from school administrators, teachers, parents and students.
The Cool Rides pilot program was developed on a research-based behavior change approach. This
approach focuses on identifying barriers and benefits associated with targeted behaviors, then uses
education, prompts, commitments and other tactics to establish a new social norm around the
desired behavior, which in this case is carpooling to school. The public education and awareness
programs and initial research were led by the Communication & Engagement Department. The
program was implemented by the Public Works Branch Transportation Department.
In 2019, staff reached out to the three school districts with elementary and middle schools in
Carlsbad to discuss participation in a pilot program -Carlsbad Unified, Encinitas Union and San
Marcos Unified school districts. The following schools participated in the pilot program:
Carlsbad Unified School District:
• Aviara Oaks Elementary
• Aviara Oaks Middle
• Calavera Hills Elementary
Public Works Branch
Transportation Department
• Calavera Hills Middle
• Hope Elementary
Faraday Center I 1635 Faraday Ave I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2730 t
Council Memo -Cool Rides Safe Routes to School Carpool Program (Districts -All)
Feb.11,2021
Page 2
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 impact on schools in March 2020, the pilot program was initially
put on hold and then subsequently not completed due to the prolonged duration of the pandemic.
The implementation team was unable to return to campus to complete the final tallies to measure
the results. Therefore, a significant behavior change was not proven. There were still some benefits
that resulted from the pilot program. Outlined below are some highlights from the barriers and
benefits research that was conducted.
Highlights from Barriers and Benefits Research
Parents were asked to rate their level of agreement on a scale of zero to 10, with 14 barrier or benefit
statements. The top five statements were developed into key messages. The primary focus was on
the highest-ranking statement.
o I would carpool but only with parents I know
o I would carpool to help reduce traffic at school
o I would carpool to help the environment
o I would carpool to reduce days I need to drive
o It would be fun for my child
7.8%
6.8%
6.5%
6.1%
6.1%
To establish a baseline of how students travelled to school, two approaches were used: (1) a parent
survey, and (2) student travel mode tallies. The results were evaluated by each school as well as by all
schools combined.
Developed Pilot Program Based on Research
The strategies and outreach approaches were designed utilizing outcomes from the parent survey
and feedback from principals. In addition to the survey outcomes, staff applied best practices for
reaching parents directly and encouraging behavior changes.
The outcomes from the best-practice interviews, parent survey and student travel mode tallies were
discussed at a meeting with principals in June 2019. At this meeting, proposed strategies, messages
and methods for reaching parents were presented. Principals provided their feedback on the
availability of resources and the applicability of the proposed methods, given their school culture.
Cool Rides Take-Aways
• In-person communication should be conducted by an influential person at the specific school.
Sometimes this takes time to locate the right person(s) and varies from school to school.
• In-person event communication should be based on the amount of time the parent or child
would have to understand and act on the behavior change request
• In-person event selection should be based on parents having something in common
• Principals added specific recommendations based on the culture of their campus and should
be encouraged to develop their own marketing materials
• Students, volunteers, and teacher groups reinforced the messaging and should conduct the
program once they learn about the process
Council Memo -Cool Rides Safe Routes to School Carpool Program (Districts -All)
Feb. 11,2021
Page 3
The marketing materials, how to use the marketing materials, and best practices can be applied to
other schools in Carlsbad. Taking the time to get to know the principal, staff and campus will help to
customize the marketing tools for a successful carpool campaign.
As part of the development of the city's Sustainable Mobility Plan, staff have met with school site
representatives to identify needed infrastructure improvements around school sites required to
encourage more carpooling; transit, walking and biking to school. These projects are identified in the
Sustainable Mobility Plan and will be prioritized for implementation through the city's Capital
Improvement Program.
Next Steps
Based on the findings of the pilot program, staff determined that many valuable strategies were
identified that could be scaled for broader implementation. City and school staff determined the level
of coordination, promotion and other resources needed to sustain an ongoing program. Staff plans to
return to the school pilot program with modified COVID-19 relevant messaging and outreach
strategies when the students return to on-campus learning.
Attachments: A. Council Memorandum dated April 8, 2019
B. Carlsbad SRTS Cool Rides Report
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Neil Gallucci, Police Chief
Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief
Tom Frank, Transportation Director
Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director
Jason Haber, Intergovernmental Affairs Director
Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager
John Kim, City Traffic Engineer
Christie Calderwood, Lieutenant, Police Department
To the members of the: ATTACHMENT A
CITY COUNCIL
'DCM.d.._CA.::l__cc_
Oate4 \9 \ A CM.:::/__ COO.¥
April 8, 2019
To:
From:
Via:
. Re:
Council Memorandum
Honorable Mayor Hall an
Kristina Ray, Communicati er
Scott Chadwick, City Mana
Safe Routes to Schools Carpooling Pilot Program
·(cityof ·
Carlsbad
The purpose of this memo is to provide an overview of the City of Carlsbad's Safe Routes to
Schools public outreach pilot program, which is being developed as part of the city's Climate
Action Plan implementation. ·
· Climate Action Plan/Transportation Demand Management
Measure Kin the city's Climate Action Plan calls for promoting transportation demand
management strategies to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled by single occupancy
vehicles and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. One of the programs identified is Safe
Routes to Schools.
Safe Routes to Schools
Safe Routes to Schoo!s·is an umbrella term that includes programs that encourage alternatives
to driving individual students to schooL Walking and biking are the primary focus of Safe Routes
to Schools programs, however, carpooling and transit use are recommended for students who
live too far away to walk or bike. All of these alternative modes provide benefits, including
easing traffic congestion around school sites and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of the city's Sustainable Mobility Plan, currently being developed, city staff have met
with school site representatives to identify needed infrastructure improvements around school
sites required to encourage more walking and biking to school. These projects will be identified
in the Su~tainable Mobility Plan and then prioritized for implementatio_n through the city's ·
Capital Improvements Program. Strategies to increase transit use will also be included in the· ·
plan.
City staff have also worked with school representatives to explore increased ~arpooling, a
program that could provide a more immediate benefit.
Climate Action Plan Behavior Change Program
Recognizing that many of_the chang~s needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depend on
behavior change, the Climate Action Plan's implementation includes public education and
awareness programs led by the city's Community Outreach & Engagement team. This_ team is
leading the initial research phase for the Safe Routes to Schools pilot carpooling program.
Office of the City Manager
City Hall 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-434-2820
Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
April 8, 2019
Page 2
The program, which seeks to increase carpooling at elementary and middle schools as a way to
reduce vehicle miles traveled and idling time, is based on a research-based behavior change
approach. This approach focuses on identifying barriers and benefits associated with targeted
behaviors, then uses education, prompts, commitments.and other tactics to establish a new
social norm ar~und the desired behavior, in this case, carpooling to school.
Program Participants
City staff reached out to the three school districts with elementa.ry and middle schools in
Carlsbad to discuss participation in a pilot progra·m -Carlsbad Unified, Encinitas Union and San
Marcos Unified school districts. The following schools have decided to join the pilot program:
Carlsbad Unified School District:
• Aviara Oaks Elementary . • Calavera Hills Middle
• Aviara Oaks Middle • Hope Elementary
• Calavera Hills Elementary
San Marcos Unified School District:
• Carrillo Elementary
Timeline
Following are the key milestones and timing for the pilot program:
Winter 2019
Spring 2019
Summer 2019
Fall 2019
Spring 2020
Long Term Plan
Recruit schools for pilot program
Complete barr.iers and benefits research
Establish baseline behaviors
Develop pilot program based on research
Launch pilot program
Measure results, determine next st~ps
Based on the findings of the pilot program, city staff will determine next steps. For example, if .
the pilot is successful, the program could be scaled up for broader implementation.
Alternatively, if the pilot does not result in significant behavior change, the team may adjust
messaging or outreach strategies and implement a second pilot program. Throughout this
testing phase, city and school staff also will determine the level of coordination, promotion and
other resources needed to sustain an ongoing.program. ·
cc: Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Elaine Lukey, Chief Operations Officer
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Mike Grim, Climate Action Plan Administrator
ATTACHMENT B
City of Carlsbad
Cool Rides: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
2019-2020
action
R E S E A R C H
CHEN RYAN
Submitted: April 2020
COOL
Rides
SCHOOL CARPOOL
Table of Contents
Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. ii
Table ofTables ............................................................................................................................................... ii
Project Background and Purpose ................................................................................................................. 1
Approach .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Report Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Behavior Selection ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Barrier and Benefit Research ........................................................................................................................ 3
In-Depth Best Practices Interviews ........................................................................................................... 3
Parent Research ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Strategy Development .................................................................................................................................. 9
Meeting with Principals .......................................................................................................................... 11
Pilot Implementation and Evaluation ......................................................................................................... 12
Specific Impacts of COVID-19 ................................................................................................................. 12
Implementation ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Evaluation ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Conclusions and Next Steps ....................................................................... '. ............................................... 16
Cool Rides Step-by-Step Implementation Instructions for Principals ........................................................ 17
Program Design ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Outreach Methods ................................................................................................................................. 17
Messengers ............................................................................................................................................. 18
Messages ................................................................................................................................................ 18
Materials ................................................................................................................................................. 19
Implementation .......................................................................................................................................... 20
Verification Days ..................................................................................................................................... 20
Back-to-School Night .............................................................................................................................. 21
Driver Outreach ...................................................................................................................................... 22
Carpool Parent Match System ................................................................................................................ 23
General School Events ........ · .................................................................................................................... 24
Appendix A ................................................................................................................................................. 25
Appendix 8 .................................................................................................................................................. 29
Appendix C .................................................................................................................................................. 30
Verification Days ..................................................................................................................................... 30
Back-to-School Night ........................................................... , .................................................................. 32
Driver Outreach ...................................................................................................................................... 34
Carpool Parent Match System ...................................................................................... , ......................... 35
General School Events ............................................................................................................................ 36
Outreach Materials ..................................................................................................................................... 37
i I Page
Table of Figures
Figure 1. Mean Barrier and Benefit Ratings across All Pilot Schools .......................................................................... 6
Figure 2. Top Barriers and Benefits by School. ........................................................................................................... 7
Figure 3. Percentage of Parents Interested in Carpooling ......................................................................................... 8
Table of Tables
Table 1. Overview and Time Frames of All Pilot Activities ......................................................................................... 2
Table 2. The Number of Completed Parent Surveys by School. ................................................................................. 5
Table 3. Percentages for Self-Reported Travel Mode to School ................................................................................ 5
Table 4. Best Practices and Associated Program Elements ........................................ , ............................................... 9
Table 5. Survey Outcomes and Associated Strategies ............................................................................................. 10
Table 6. List of Materials Created for the Pilot ........................................................................................................ 11
Table 7. Fall Schools Pilot Design Table ................................................................................................................... 13
Table 8. Winter Schools Pilot Design Table ............................................................................................................. 14
Table 9. Pre-and Post-Outreach Student Travel Mode Tally Results ..................................................................... 15
Table 10. Recommended Timetable and Combination of Outreaches ................................................................... 18
Table 11. Verification Days Implementation Timeframes and Tasks ...................................................................... 20
Table 12. Back-to-School Night Implementation Timeframes and Tasks ................................................................ 21
Table 13. Driver Outreach Implementation Timeframes and Tasks ....................................................................... 22
Table 14. Carpool Parent Match System Implementation Timeframes and Tasks ................................................. 23
Table 15. General School Events Implementation Timeframes and Tasks ............................................................. 24
Acknowledgements
The creation and implementation of this pilot program was possible because of the resounding support from
school administrators, teachers, parents, and students.
Schools
Michael Ecker, Principal, and Taylor Schuman, teacher at Calavera Hills Middle School
Rose Flowers, Principal at Aviara Oaks Middle School
Kimberly Fuentes, Principal at Calavera Hills Elementary School
James Hines, Principal, and Robin Pinner, Vice Principal at Aviara Oaks Elementary School
Gary Pope, Principal at Carrillo Elementary School
Ashley Rossiter, Principal, and Melania Gamboni, parent at Hope Elementary School
Jesse Schuveiller, Principal at Sage Creek High School
Student leadership team at Calavera Hills Middle School
District Office
Michelle Bell, Executive Assistant
Dr. Ben Churchill, Superintendent
ii I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Project Background and Purpose
The purpose of this project was to assist the City of Carlsbad to reach its climate action plan goals by creating a
school-based carpool program that results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. To do so, the City of Carlsbad
gained the cooperation of the Carlsbad Unified School District. The joint program, if successful, may realize
other benefits such as better local air quality, less traffic, increased safety of students, and a strong sense of
community.
Six school principals volunteered their schools to participate in the pilot phase to assist with program
development. They were Aviara Oaks Elementary and Middle schools, Calavera Hills Elementary and Middle
schools, and Carrillo and Hope Elementary schools. In the fall of 2019, Carrillo Elementary School decided not to
participate in the pilot; therefore, after the parent survey section, they are not mentioned in this report.
Action Research and Chen Ryan were contracted to provide technical mobility expertise, social science research
and behavior-change program development services including research, program strategy and pilot
development, and implementation.
Approach
Community-based social marketing (CBSM) is a best practice methodology to achieve lasting, quantifiable
behavior change that meets market transformation goals. It offers a proven, research and metrics-based
alternative to traditional education campaigns (McKenzie-Mohr, 1996; 1999; 2000; 2011; McKenzie-Mohr, Lee,
Schultz, & Kotler, 2011; Schultz & Tabanico, 2007). CBSM is based upon research in the social sciences that
demonstrates that behavior change is most effectively achieved through initiatives delivered at the community
level that focus on removing barriers to an activity while simultaneously enhancing the activity's benefits.
CBSM brings together knowledge from the field of social marketing with a variety of behavior change tools
drawn from social psychology, environmental psychology, and other social sciences. CBSM involves five steps:
1. Selecting which behaviors to target;
2. Identifying the barriers and benefits to the selected behavior;
3. Developing a strategy that reduces the barriers to the behavior to be promoted, while simultaneously
increasing the behavior's perceived benefits; .
4. Piloting the strategy; and,
5. Broad scale implementation and ongoing evaluation once the strategy has been broadly implemented.
How We Adapted the Approach
CBSM is a data-driven systematic approach to creating behavior changes. However, given the differences in
cultures, availability of resources, and physical context of each pilot school, implementation of the outreach
strategies varied by school. For example, outreach strategies at Aviara Oaks Elementary, Hope Elementary, and
Aviara Oaks Middle schools all entailed direct outreach to parents at their verification days (before school
began) as well as Back-to-School Night, a couple of weeks into the school year. However, the number of staff
and volunteer hours available to interact with and conduct the outreach directly with parents varied greatly by
school. To provide consistency across school sites, contractor staff were used to conduct all outreach activities
except the driver outreach (February 2020) which was conducted by students at Calavera Hills Middle School.
Two outreach approaches were added to the pilot program based on requests from principals. The carpool
parent match system was added at the request of Principal Flowers at Aviara Oaks Middle School to directly and
effectively engage parents in carpooling. Driver outreach was requested by Principal Ecker at Calavera Hills
ll Page
Middle School to actively engage students in learning about how to conduct outreach to effect behavioral
change.
Evaluation of the pilot strategies relied on the student mode tallies at individual schools. Comparisons between
schools were not made.
The Impact of COVID-19
As a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, schools statewide closed beginning on Monday,
March 16, 2020. Planned outreach at Calavera Hills Middle School was interrupted by the school closures, as
was completion of a Google Form to be used for parent assistance with forming a carpool. In addition, the third
set of student travel mode tallies to evaluate the pilot program could not be conducted. Therefore, evaluation
of the pilot program is incomplete. Recommendations for program elements and strategies rely on the
foundational research (best practices interviews and parent survey), lessons learned through principal feedback
meetings, and staff experiences.
Pilot Overview
The following table displays the activities completed for this pilot project.
Table 1. Overview and Time Frames of All Pilot Activities
------------·.,----. ----·-• --···--------------------1---·------------------·
Dates ! Pilot Activities I Description
-------------------
Foundational
Research
March, April 2019 J Barrier & benefit i Conducted best practices program in-depth
I research J interviews
I j Conducted the parent web survey (all schools)
r :;;:~~i -M;; 2019____ i Baseline fo~~-~;luation · 1 Conducted student travel tallies (all schools) -------+:-----------. ·-·-------------!------·----~-----------i ·--------------------------;
: June -August 2019 ! Strategy development ; Created program name (Cool Rides),
1
1
• I i messages, materials, and protocols for
i I verification days and Back-to-School Night I I 1 i outreach.
~----------',---------,-------------------i
' August, September 2019 i Pilot testing (outreach) 1 Verification days (AOES, AOMS, Hope)
i l j Back-to-School Night (AOES, AOMS, Hope) __ _
Fall Pilot
~------·------------,,'---------------'
·-••·••·---------_ ~~~=~-~.:r ~?.~9 __________ .. j Evaluation --···-·---··········---j__~~~-~~~-=~~==~~=~~-t.r~~:'._:~'.l.~~-(-~l~=~~~-~1-~( ____ __
Winter Pilot
21 Page
I December 2019 Strategy development I Created protocols for Kona Ice and Restaurant
i Night. ,__ _____ -------------+------·-· ----+-· ----------•-·· ----------I January-March 2020
I
I I Januar~ -March 2020
Strategy development
i Pilot tes~in~ (~~treach)
!
I
I I
I I
' Created messages, materials, and protocols for
driver outreach with students (CHMS).
Creating Google Form for Carpool Parent
Match System (interrupted due to COVID-19)
I Kon a Ice Friday (CHES, CHMS) .
Dine-out Restaurant Night (CHES, CHMS)
Driver outreach (CHMS only, interrupted due ! to COVID-19) I f---------___ .......,. _____ _ -----------.. -----------------------!
May 2020 _ ------·---i_ Evaluation ____________ !_c_a_n_c_e_le_d_ ~~e t~C0~~~-1! ____________ _
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Report Overview
This report summarizes the research activities and outcomes for each of the steps in the CBSM process. This
report is organized by step and includes a section titled, Supporting Documents and Outreach Materials, which is
a comprehensive list of the files needed to implement this program. The files are available to the reader. This
report also provides the steps to implement a school carpool program in the last section of the report, Program
Implementation. The report includes the following sections:
• Behavior Selection
• Barrier and Benefit Research
• Strategy Development
• Pilot Testing and Evaluation
• Conclusions and Next Steps
• Cool Rides Step-by-Step Implementation Instructions for Principals
• Appendices A -C
• Outreach Materials
Behavior Selection
At the onset of this project, the transportation demand
management team and consultants discussed various
behaviors that would assist the City in reaching their climate
action plan goals. After discussions with the school district
and principals, carpooling was chosen as the target behavior.
Although other commute choices such as biking and walking
would achieve greater greenhouse gas emission reductions,
the variation in infrastructure, topography, and traffic at
in.dividual school sites made promotion of biking and walking
at some school sites challenging. Ultimately, it was decided
that carpooling was a behavior that could be fully embraced
at all sites.
Barrier and Benefit Research
Three research activities were completed to assist with the development of a carpool program: (1) In-depth best
practices interviews with program managers; (2) A barrier and benefit to carpooling survey with parents; and (3)
Baseline student travel mode tally surveys.
In-Depth Best Practices Interviews
In-depth interviews were conducted with five school-based carpool programs. Two of the programs were still
operational and three were not. The two operational programs are (1) The Way to Go program in Denver, which
includes 202 schools with over 18,000 participating families and (2) School Commute in Tampa Bay with 127
schools and 2,000 participating families. The other three programs, Schoof Pool, (Marin County), Walk and Roll,
(Santa Barbara), and Commute Options, (Bend, Oregon) failed to gain traction and closed operations. The
purpose of the interviews was to glean lessons learned and challenges encountered by other programs.
3I Page
Key Takeaways
Branding. Branding as a school program is important. Co-branding with other organizations is fine, if parents
are familiar with the organizations and believe they are not being sold something.
In-person introduction. Face-to-face meetings and coordination with parents were more effective than digital-
only efforts to encourage behavior changes.
Opt-out. The key factor in the success of Way to Go in Denver is that it's an opt-out program. Families who do
not want to participate in the carpool matching opt-out, instead of interested families opting-in.
Outreach timing. Start early in the school year when parents are already making changes to their routines and
schedules.
Program champions. Paid staff are more effective in leadership roles than volunteers due to the high turn-over
of parents as students age out. Paid staff provide program continuity that volunteers are unable to attain.
Program messages and design. Successful programs must be aligned with parental values and designed to
address their barriers to carpooling, such as the fear of having one's child ride in a car with a stranger.
Start young. Encourage the formation of family carpooling habits with young children for the biggest impacts.
Technology. If you choose to use an app to match up parents, it must be user-friendly and simple.
Parent Research
Methods
The surveys were collected in March and April 2019. The survey was provided to parents in two ways; (1) on line
in a link imbedded in an email from the principal and (2) a paper copy that went home with their students.
Parents were instructed in the email and on the paper survey to complete only one option. All schools provided
the linkto parents in an email communication and the elementary schools also sent home paper surveys to
parents. Principals sent out a pre-notification email a few days in advance of the email with the link and the
paper survey being sent home. The survey and implementation communications can be seen in Appendix A.
Survey Content
After the initial question to collect the number of children across each grade, the survey questions referenced
the youngest child in the household. There were two reasons for the focus on the youngest child: (1) It allowed
for a quicker and simpler survey (than having parents complete one for each child), which in turn would
encourage participation; and (2) asking about the youngest students would likely capture more barriers to
carpooling as older students are more likely to be allowed to bike or walk.
• Number of children in each grade (kindergarten through 8th).
• How the youngest child gets to and from school.
• Length of time it takes youngest child to get to and from school.
• Rated level of agreement to 14 barrier and benefit statements.
• Rated level of interest in carpooling.
41P a ge
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Response
The schools varied in the number of responses they received from parents. Below is a table that displays the
number of survey responses by school. The number of surveys completed in Spanish is included in parentheses.
For example, Aviara Oak Elementary school had 177 completed surveys, four of which were completed in
Spanish.
Table 2. The Number of Completed Parent Surveys by School
I
i : School
' l
Completed Surveys
(Spanish)
I Aviara Oaks Elementary 177 (4)
I Av;ara Oaks M;dd_l_e ___ -------1---------------~~1~7-9_-_(_1_)~~~~~~
Calavera Hills Elementary 178 (12)
1-----------------------+-----------------
i Calavera Hills Middle 86 (2) [. ______________ _
:
! Carrillo Elementary 187 (2) ! _____________________ ,
Hope_E_le_m_e_n_t_ar_y·--T-._ o-,.J ---3-;:~:) -
Results
The following tables and figures display the outcomes of the parent survey for all six pilot schools combined.
Where appropriate, results are shown by school.
Travel Mode and Time
Parents were asked how their child arrives at school on most days. By far, most students arrive by family car.
Parents at Aviara Oaks Middle School reported the highest percentage of students who arrive in a carpool.
Parents reported the average length of time to get students to school was 10 minutes and home from school
was 13 minutes.
Table 3. Percentages for Self-Reported Travel Mode to School
1
--~-------~------.~
Aviara Aviara Calavera Carrillo ES ' , Oaks ES Oaks MS Hills ES
Calavera
Hills MS Hope ES
I;;~: .. -j ~~: ~::: ~~~-L ~6:: --------~
l:~;~r·~-;~51::; );;;--~:;~:~-r ~~:;; 1~1:J:--::::: i
' Bus 0% 0.6% 0% · 0% 0% 0.6% I
I
11.6% 9.9%
4.7% 0.0%
! ----------------~----~----~----~-----~-_____ !
These self-reported results were consistent with the outcomes from the baseline student travel mode tallies,
except for Calavera Hills Middle School. Their self-reported carpooling percentage was higher than the tally
results.
SI Page
Barriers and Benefits
Parents were asked to rate their level of agreement on a scale of zero to ten with 14 barrier or benefit
statements. Parents who stated they already carpool were excluded from this figure.
The highest rated statement was a barrier and the concern that students carpool only with parents they know.
All other barriers received moderate and low mean ratings (i.e., difficult schedules, overall safety, difficulty of
organizing, etc.}. The figure below displays the mean ratings for the barrier and benefit statements across all the
pilot schools.
Figure 1. Mean Barrier and Benefit Ratings across All Pilot Schools
I would but only with parents I know (7.8
I would to help red uce traffic at school 6.8
I would to help environment 6.5
I would to reduce days I need to drive 6.1
It would be fun for my child 6.1
It would be difficult with my schedule 5.3
I would for my child to get to know other ... 4.9
I would not due to safety concerns 4.7
Organizing it would be too difficult 4.6
I would to save gas money 4.4
I would to get to know other parents 4.2
I do not know families nearby 4.2
' I would to motivate my child to be on time 3.li ~ '
My ca r is too small 2.7 i I
0 2 4 6 8
Note: N=855; The full text for each statement can be viewed in Appendix A.
Interestingly, four benefits received moderately high ratings -reducing traffic at school, helping the
environment, reducing driving days, and carpooling as fun for kids.
6I Pa ge
. t !
ii
10
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
The mean ratings patterns for the statements were similar across all six pilot schools. The mean ratings for the
top five barriers and benefits by school are displayed below.
Figure 2. Top Barriers and Benefits by School
10 ----·--------------------·--------···--·---, -··---·-----·----
9 -
7
6
5
AOES AOMS Carrillo ES CHES CHMS Hope ES
■On ly parents I know ■Reduce traffic ■Environment Reduce days I drive. ■ Fun for my child
Note: N=855; The full text for each statement can be viewed in Appendix A,
71 Page
Interest in Carpooling
Parents were asked to rate their level of interest (using a scale from zero to ten} in carpooling to get their child
to and from school. In addition, they were asked their likelihood of using a phone app (using a scale from zero
to ten) to help them be part of a carpool.
A large percentage of parents, 43.8%, stated they would be very interested (ratings of 7 to 10) in using an app to
help them be part of a carpool. A moderate percentage of parents, who are currently not carpooling, stated
they would be very interested in carpooling to get their child to and from school. Parents who stated they
already carpool were excluded from this figure.
Figure 3. Percentage of Parents Interested in Carpooling
100
80
60
40 35 33
27
20
20 -
0
AOES AOMS Carrillo ES CHES CHMS Hope ES
Note: N-855; These percentages represent the percentage of parents who rated their interest in carpooling between 7 and
10. Parents who report they were carpooling were not included in these percentages.
8I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Strategy Development
The strategies and outreach approaches were designed utilizing outcomes from the parent survey and feedback
from principals. In addition to the survey outcomes we applied best practices for reaching parents directly and
encouraging behavior changes.
The next two tables detail how best practices and survey outcomes were demonstrated in the program
elements and associated outreach strategies. These two tables are followed by a list of materials created for the
pilot. Of note here, although interest by parents in using an app to help form a carpool was high, the project
team decided against introducing an app for this program. There were two reasons for this decision: (1) Use of
an app to make matches was antithetical to the survey finding that parents only want their child to go with
parents they know; and (2) The best practice interviews and parent survey findings pointed to a program based
on relationships, not technology.
Table 4. Best Practices and Associated Program Elements
·-.. ----. ----------·---•-·•--·-------·,---------·--------. -·-------· ---------
Best Practices i Program Element or Message
!
In-person communication is far more
persuasive than digital communications
for achieving behavior changes.
i Verification Days !
Volunteers or staff speak directly to parents and provide them with
program materials.
Back-to-School Night
Volunteers, students, or staff speak directly to parents and provide
them with program materials as they enter the school grounds.
Every teacher makes a short program announcement, hands out
name badges and contact cards.
Parents wear a program name badge to identify themselves as
interested in carpooling.
Contact cards (business card size} allow parents to present others
with their contact information.
Relevancy and personalization. Use the school name in communications. ----·---·-----
Use positive message frames.
I The messages should come from
evant and credibl_e .=_o~rce~
ke the message specific.
---------------
··---·-·-· --------·----------------
There were four benefits of carpooling that were rated highly-
promote them.
-------·-----·-----------· --·--·------·-·· ··-•----·--·--------·------·--
The principal as the main messenger (relevant, known to parents}.
The district and city are secondary messengers (adds credibility}.
Make a carpool plan with parents you know.
1 Make the behavior more visible. Car window clings can be used to show carpool participation.
! _________________________ -·--------------• ----·-·------·-····----
9I Page
Table 5. Survey Outcomes and Associated Strategies
i Survey Outcomes
The top barrier to carpooling was not
wanting their students to go with
people they don't know.
Benefit -reduce traffic at school.
Benefit -reduce the days they drive.
! Strategie;
I
i :) Honor parent concerns for carpooling only with families they
i I know.
I Call a friend. Make a plan to carpool! -i ' ' . ---I :) Leverage ease and time
I At [SCHOOL] let's have an easier, faster drop-off and pick-up.
:) Use vivid information
If all our families carpooled with just one other family, there would
be half as many cars at school-HALF!
:) Use a social norms message
Testimonials are a form of social norms. Use them to demonstrate
that other parents are carpooling for convenience or to make their
lives easier.
Get ourselves to work earlier or have more spare time.
Carpool. More time in your day!
! / carpool with families in my neighborhood because it's convenient
d for working families, it's essential. ·
Benefit -positive i~~act ~~-th~-Use self-~~rc;ptio~ (taking this action increases their -----
environment. rception of caring about the environment).
i Carpool! It's the right thing to do.
I i Have a positive impact on the environment. I ,--------------------------------~----------------------·-------------------·-----
Benefit -wanting their students to = Identify direct benefit to students
I have fun. Help our kids start the day in a happy way with friends.
1-...-----------•-·--------~----·--------------------------~
lOj Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Here is a list of program materials available to schools. The use of each is also explained in the step-by-step
section.
Table 6. List of Materials Created for the Pilot
-----------··· ------I Materials
------· -----------------r-·--------
: Details -Use
I Banner , Promotes carpooling in the drop-off and pick-up area where the behavior I I
Flyer
Parent Contact Card
Parent Name Badge
I occurs.
--------------~--------------·-· ---·----·---
1 Promotes the program messages, branded with each school name to
increase relevancy to parents, includes testimonial specific to the school.
Business card size, allows for exchange of information between parents.
----i-s';;~ded~ith-C~-;I Rides logo and is used to-id~-n-tify-p~rents at an ev;~t--
,,_ _______________ ~i _a_s __ b_e_in_g_i_ntereste~n carpooling. ____________ _
Program Poster Promotes the program messages at events, identical to the program flyer,
branded with each school name to increase relevancy to parents, includes
testimonial specific to the school.
------------·----------------------------------------------· ---
Signs (Hand-held) Allows students to promote and demonstrate their support for carpooling
in the drop-off and pick-up area where the behavior occurs. ---------~-------
School Boundary Map Poster
Window Cling (Car)
Displays the school boundaries and the concentration of traffic on the
shortest path to school.
Cool Rides logo, placed inside car window of those who are carpooling,
I i identifies the car as a carpool. Sends a social norms message. ----_______ .. ______________ ! _______________ -·--------· -------~
Meeting with Principals
The outcomes from the best-practices interviews, parent survey, and student travel mode tallies were discussed
at a meeting with principals in June of 2019. At this meeting, proposed strategies, messages, and methods for
reaching parents were presented. Principals provided their feedback on the availability of resources and the
applicability of the proposed methods, given their school culture. Adjustments were made, as applicable. For
example, we learned that car window clings were likely to be welcomed at some schools and not at others. This
was somewhat dependent on the look and utility of the cling. In other words, would placement of the cling on
the car allow for use of a special lane to get ahead of other cars? Ultimately, the use of the window cling was
dropped from the piloted strategies and it was decided schools can use the clings as they see fit.
11 I Page
Pilot Implementation and Evaluation
While the strategies and outreach approaches were designed utilizing outcomes from the parent survey and
feedback from principals, during the planning and implementation of the fall pilot it was abundantly clear that
available resources and the culture of each school site would demand adjustments to the approaches. The
principals who volunteered to be a part of the pilot program were cooperative and collaborative throughout the
planning and implementation stages ofthis project. They were communicative and offered real-time insights
that shaped the overall approaches, as well as implementation at individual school sites.
In this section, we note the adjustments made to the outreach as well
as details about two additional approaches requested by principals
during outreach preparatory and follow-up meetings: (1) A carpool
parent match system that requires parents to complete a short
Google Form where the data are used by a principal to make a
carpool match and (2) Driver outreach conducted by students at
Calavera Hills Middle School. Therefore, there are five outreach
methods that can be adapted and used to promote carpooling.
A note about the creation of the carpool parent match system: The
addition ofthe carpool parent match system may seem confusing since
Call a friend.
'Make a plan. ·. Carpool =
Carpool! t , More time in
·1 yourday
the decision was made to exclude use of an app that would assist with making parent carpool matches.
However, in discussions with parents and principals it was clear that some parents want assistance and would
welcome it coming from a trusted source -the principal. To create the approach, we spoke to Principal Flowers
at Aviara Oaks Middle School, who first requested the system. She explained to the team how she would go
about using such a system. Then, we interviewed Principal Schuveiller from Sage Creek High School who created
and was using his own matching system. He stated that he sends out an email early in the school year and gets
back about 20 to 25 requests for matches. He stated he invests about 5 to 10 hours of time over a three-week
period and believes it is worthwhile; however, there is no mechanism for evaluation of successful matches.
Middle schools appear to experience the largest resource challenges. Their volunteer resources (i.e., PTA, PTO)
target specific program needs and were adamant about not surrendering their focus for other interests. Student
involvement is likely a way around the resource issue. Guided by the principal and key faculty leadership,
students have an abundance of enthusiasm for environmental and social problems. In discussion with students
during the roll-out of the driver outreach at Calavera Hills Middle School, they communicated key insights to
their parent's motivations to carpool. Interestingly, their insights were consistent with findings from the parent
survey.
A slide presentation was developed to provide students with a framework for conducting the outreach. The
presentation included the program goals (and how the City, school district, school administrators, parents, and
students can have different goals), outreach protocol (including safety), and social science principles for
achieving behavior changes. Notably, the presentation demonstrates how social norms is a powerful tool used
to encourage people to make behavioral changes. It was well received by students.
Specific Impacts of COVID-19
As noted elsewhere in this report, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the completion of the driver outreach,
parent carpool match system, and evaluation of the pilot.
Driver Outreach. Students at Calavera Hills Middle School completed one of three weeks of outreach to drivers
when a combination of rain and then the closure of schools occurred.
12 I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Carpool Parent Match System. The Google Form, as well as backend fields (Google Sheets) designed for
evaluation are complete except for disclaimer language required by the school district and an official hand off
from the contractor.
Student Travel Mode Tallies. The third administration of the student travel mode tallies were to be conducted
in spring of 2020. This administration was integral to measures of success and determining pilot adjustment
needs. One result is the program will not have season to season comparisons. We do have the spring 2019 and
fall 2019 tally data but were relying on the spring administration to draw stronger conclusions about impact of
the outreach strategies on behavior changes. Therefore, evaluation of the pilot program is incomplete and
future implementation will rely on the foundational research (best practices interviews and parent survey),
lessons learned through principal feedback meetings, and staff experiences.
Implementation
The fall pilot was implemented at Aviara Oaks Elementary and Middle schools and Hope Elementary School. The
materials listed are defined in Table 6.
Table 7. Fall Schools Pilot Design Table
Verification Days
(August 2019)
--1-· -----·-------! Back-to-School Night
: (September 2019)
Channels
Materials
I Evaluation
1: Notification via email from principals.
2: In-person directly to parents by volunteers
: or staff and parents are handed a program I flyer. Includes a table displaying program
, posters.
1: Notification via email from principals.
2: In-person directly to parents by volunteers •
1
or staff at the school entryway.
: 3: Video message in classrooms (Hope
Elementary only)
I 4: In-person directly to parents. Teachers in '
! each classroom read a script. --,--------· ·--•-·---· ---·--···--------· ------
■ School Boundary Map Poster
■ Program Poster
• Flyer
i ■ School Boundary Map Poster
! ■ I I • i l •
: ■ i
Program Poster
Flyer
Carpool Name Badge
Parent Contact Card
------------------------~---------------------------
Conduct student travel mode tallies (fall 2019) and compare to baseline (spring 2019)
---------------------
13J Page
The fall pilot was implemented at Calavera Hills Elementary and Middle schools. The materials listed are defined
in Table 6.
Table 8. Winter Schools Pilot Design Table
I ----·-·-·-· ---------·----1 ·--·----------··--·--,-·-----. •·------;
Event I Kona Ice Friday I Restaurant Dine-Out Night r Driver Outreach (CHMS) i
Channels j 1: Notification via email from j 1: Notification via email from : 1: Notification via email from i
1 principals. i principals. . principal.
2: In-person directly to '. 2: In-person directly to 2: In-person directly to
parents by volunteers or ! parents by volunteers or : parents by students in the
staff. i staff. driveway.
: Only one week of three
, planned weeks of outreach
• was completed due to
COVID-19 school closures. ---·--
■ Hand-held signs
• Flyer
~Is -r;;--School B~~~d;r~M a~--i_ ■
, Poster i •
Flyer
Parent Contact Card
I I • Program Poster 1
~----• Flyer ----~----------~------------! i Evaluation Not conducted due to COVID-19 l I Plan : Conduct stud_:nt travel mode tallies and compare to baseline and fall tallies
Evaluation
Student travel mode tallies were administered in the spring and fall of 2019. The tallies entailed contractor staff
going to each classroom on campus and asking students how they got to school on that day and how they
planned to get home on that day. Tallies were administered on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday over a
three-week period across all six pilot schools. Mondays and Fridays see more absenteeism and exceptions to
typical travel mode. The dates were prearranged with principals so as not to interfere with testing, field trips, or
assemblies. The form used to record student travel modes can be found in Appendix B.
The tally results were consistent with the parent survey results for most of the schools. There were some
discrepancies in the biking to/from and skateboarding to/from counts. The discrepancies could be due to a few
situations: (1} Self-reports from very young children in the low grades who can be easily distracted or influenced
in the moment come with some inherent inaccuracies; (2) A child who biked or skateboarded to school and was .
picked up by car at the end of the day; or (3) Interviewer error. In addition, to and from measures are different
since one is certain (it occurred) and one is not. How a child is getting home from school is a measure of a
future event and with it comes some uncertainty. Tallies are measures used nationwide to evaluate the Safe
Routes to School program and with protocols in place, are deemed reliable.
Unfortunately, the final tally administration was to take place in the spring of 2020. Collecting those data would
have been beneficial for comparing spring 2019 to spring 2020 data. In other words, the data would be
compared across similar seasonal behavioral patterns as well as weather. However, schools were closed due to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
14 I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Three schools, Aviara Oaks Elementary, Aviara Oaks Middle, and Hope Elementary schools, received outreach at
the beginning of the 2019 academic school year and the two Calavera Hills schools received outreach in the
winter of 2020 (not within the evaluation timeframe displayed in this table). Therefore, we would expect
increases in carpooling for Aviara Oaks Elementary, Aviara Oaks Middle, and Hope Elementary schools, but not
for the two Calavera Hills schools. The table below displays student travel mode tally outcomes from the spring
and fall of 2019.
Table 9. Pre-and Post-Outreach Student Travel Mode Tally Results r----
1
----------------S-p-ri_n_g_j _F-al_l __,,_S_p_ri_n_g...,I_F_a_ll __ S_pr-i-ng_,,: _F_a_ll __ S_p_r_in_g_! -Fa_l_l --,.-S-p-ri_n_g""'i,--F_a_ll__,
2019 I 2019 2019 2019 2019 ! 2019 2019 ; 2019 2019 2019
Mode AOES AOMS CHES CHMS Hope ES -· ------------· -----------------·--------·----------... ---------·-·-----:-----------I
_l:iY_aJ~_to_____ 6.6% 9.8% 6.6% 7.7% 14.6% ! 18.2% 14.4% 1 16.6% 9_._2_%_,t--10_._6_%_
Walk from 11.9% 12.2% 13.3% 11.0% 22.7% i 19.6% 33.1% ! 29.1% 9.6% , 8.3% ·-----1--->--------J ---,
Bike to 0.8% 1.7% 1.3% 0.3% 1.7% I 3.5% 1.0% ' 3.7% 2.8% : 4.9% --------1-----+-------------------1------1---1------+--------l Bike from
Skateboard to !----------
Skateboard from
0.8% 1.0% 1.3% 0.5% 1.5% i 2.6% 0.8% I 3.8%
0.6% i 1.3% 1.8% 0.3%-2.4%-r 5~4%--0.4% r-1~7%-
0.6% I 0.1% 2.0% o.3% 2.4% i 4.s%-0.2% 1.9% o.6% I 2.6%
2.8% 5.4% '
0.2% 1.6%
-Sq,9_9_-I_B-_ u-_s_t_o_-_--_--■ __ 0.0% __ _L 0.0% ___ Q:_~~---O_}~---0.0%·-r-·0.2% ____ _Q:_~~ ___ g.:.2~ _-_ Q:9!~-__ Q--0~_
School Bus from 0.2% I 0.0% o.6% 0.1% 0.0% i 0.0% 0.2% : 0.2% 0.0% i o.s% ··----~--~~.-. -__ ___,_ ----__ __,_ __ ----------------+----""-------_ ___,_ ____ _
Fa_n:ii_ly Ve_~icle_ !~ _ 8~:!)~_, _7_2.~~ 5~.1~ _ ??:2o/o ___ ?-4:!%_ 60.6% 74.2% 67.5% 80.0%
_F_amilyX~~i~~~}r~m _ _ ~~:!~-i 6_2.5~_ _ 4~.~~-__ 4~:2~ ___ -~3.2%_ ~ _ ~5._2~ __ 54.3,% __ : ___ 51:~~-68.6%
10.0% 15.2% --------· -
11.1% 14.5%
31.7% ' 39.0% 6.8% --------------"' . ----
31.2% · 38.8% 5.1%
12.0%
5.2%
8.1% 9.2% 9.2% ---. ----
7.4% 9.4% 10.4%
73.0% --------
66.1%
11.0% ----
9.6%
-~a!poo~ to
_Earpool from
Public/Other to ____ -□mo ! 0.0% Q~i% j_Q:_~~---D.2% -; -0.0~ __ i 2_%_0--+----1--
i I----
I 0.0% 0.2% 0.0%
Public/Other from 6.4% ! 5.2% 1.9% I 2.6% 6.3% I 7.3% 1.8% i 0.5% 8.9% I 6.1%
All schools showed at least a modest increase in carpooling from spring to fall, even the two schools that did not
receive the outreach. Although this is a positive outcome overall, not all increases in carpooling can be
attributed to the outreach. There may be other cha racteristics of transport mode behaviors related to the time
of year. Having the third tally administration may have helped to clarify mode choices by comparing results at
the same time of year (i.e., spring vs. spring).
Along with the increases in carpooling there were decreases in use of the family vehicle to get to and from
school. The decreases in family vehicle use were not only associated with increased carpooling, but with
increases in biking, walking, and skateboarding, as well.
15 I Pa g e
Conclusions and Next Steps
Although the findings were inconclusive using only the tally data, these data do demonstrate a willingness of
parents to use carpooling and active modes of transportation to get their students to school. Feedback from
principals, parents, and students strongly suggest the program is needed and will be encouraged in ways
relevant and suitable to each school. The overarching goal of the program is to reduce green-house gas
emissions along with increasing safety of travel to and from school. Front and center for principals is reducing
congestion at drop-off and pick-ups times. A carpooling program was welcomed by principals who have an
interest in increasing student safety, reducing friction among parents sitting in lines, setting a good example for
environmental stewardship to students, and increasing camaraderie among parents.
To move the Cool Rides School Carpool to a fully functioning, sustainable program districtwide, we suggest the
following steps:
Create Districtwide Cool Rides Dissemination Plan
□ Meet with the City, superintendent and other school district personnel to share pilot outcomes.
□ Identify means for principals to obtain program materials (copies offlyers, posters, etc.).
□ Identify process (or person) for schools to request the Cool Rides banner.
□ Package Implementation Instructions for broad scale dissemination to principals
□ Obtain permission and process for outreach to principals with Cool Rides Implementation Instructions.
Complete the Carpool Parent Match System Outreach
□ Finish the Google Form by inserting the discla imer language (still at the district-hand-off interrupted by
COVID-19).
□ Move the Google Form to a district person (it was created using a non-district Gmail account).
□ Create a Google Form instructional video for principals (5-minutes in length) and link to the
implementation document.
□ Create evaluation follow-up email language for principals (automate/imbed in system)
Track Outreach and Evaluation
□ Create a system oftimely reminders and tips for principals before critical outreach events.
□ Provide support, as needed, to individual principals and staff in the form of consult or training.
□ Create an evaluation form or system to allow the City to track outcomes from individual schools.
16 I Pag e
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Cool Rides Step-by-Step Implementation Instructions for Principals
Program Design
The original program elements and outreach approach were designed utilizing outcomes from the parent survey
and feedback from principals. However, during planning and implementation of the fall pilot it was abundantly
clear that available resources and the culture of each school site would demand adjustments to the plan.
Therefore, there are five outreach methods that can be adapted and used to promote carpooling.
Outreach Methods ·
Here is a brief explanation of the outreach methods that can be used to increase carpooling at each school site.
Implementation instructions for each method follow this section. These methods can be used in combination
and are best implemented at the beginning of the school year when parents are already modifying their
schedules. The best combination of methods would be outreach at parent verification days and Back-to-School
Night with a link to the parent match system Google Form in the email communication pieces sent by principals.
The outreach methods used for verification days and Back-to-School Night promote carpooling with parents you
already know; however, the parent match system is for parents who want help to find other parents with whom
to carpool.
Residency Verification Days
This method is directed at parents who attend the verification days that precede the new academic year. The
outreach is conducted by volunteers or staff in the school library or multi-purpose room as parents make the
rounds at tables to drop-off residency, emergency cards, and other essential documents.
Back-to-School Night
This method is directed at parents who attend Back-to-School Night. The outreach is conducted by volunteers
or students as parents enter the school and at strategic locations on campus.
Carpool Parent Match System
This method is applied broadly across all parents by email, text, or voice message from the principal. Utilizing a
link sent to them by the principal, parents request assistance from the principal to find other parents interested
in carpooling.
Driver Outreach
This method is directed at drivers during drop-off and pick-up times. The outreach is conducted by students
who stand on the school driveway and hold program posters that display short meaningful messages.
General School Events
This method is directed at parents who attend school events. The outreach materials and elements are adapted
to reach parents at broad-based and focused events (e.g., schoolwide carnival versus a fifth-grade play).
17 I Page
Table 10. Recommended Timetable and Combination of Outreaches
Timeframe j Outreach
Before school begins Residency Verification Days
Carpool Parent Match System
-------------------. ----•··-· ... ----···-··-·. ----------+-----
Early in the school year Back-to-School Night
! Carpool Parent Match System
···---···-·-· ------··-····-··--···-----------1'--------------~
! Early in the school year I Driver Outreach
J (right after Back-to-School Night) I Carpool Parent Match System i
1---------------+,-------------_J I Throughout school year I General School Events l L I ______ •. ______________ __,
Messengers
The program is a collaborative effort of the City of Carlsbad and the Carlsbad Unified School District. Principals
are relevant and trusted leaders; therefore, hearing directly from individual school principals is likely to be most
influential in increasing carpooling. Program materials are branded with the City and school district logos, but
outreach activities are directed by and communicated to parents by the principals.
Messages
Here are the five main messages of the program. These messages were derived from the parent research
conducted for developing the program.
■ Make a carpool plan with someone you know.
■ Reduce traffic at school.
■ Reduce the days you drive.
■ Have a positive impact on the environment.
■ Carpooling is fun for kids.
18 I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Materials
Here is a list of program materials available to schools. The use of each is also explained in the step-by-step
section.
··---·-·---·----
Material Type
Banner I
i Size = 3' x 5' ----, --
Purpose Promotes carpooling in the drop-off and pick-up area where the behavior occurs.
It communicates city, district, and school-level support for ca rpooling.
, Can be used district wide -not specific to a school.
1 The messages are enduring and therefore, an ongoing tool.
--------;1
Use I-Good-awareness piece, especially early in the school year. -
---------------
It is durable and can be used by any school and year over year.
Hand-held Signs l Size = 22" x 28" I ----------r-----------------------·------------------------------<
Purpose • Held by students in the drop-off and pick-up area where the behavior occurs.
Promotes main program messages and is not specific to a school.
______ ___,I -------------------------. --------------
Use Created for conducting driver outreach.
·-------------
Flyer Size= 8 ½ "x 11"
Purpose Promotes main program messages.
Branded with each school name to increase relevancy to parents.
Includes a parent testimonial specific to the school.
Use Widespread distribution to parents or at school events.
' Parent Contact Card , Size = Business card {3 ½" x 2")
----------;' ---------------
Purpose :· Tool for exchange of information between parents.
-----------U~e r cr~ated.f or~se ;t~ch~-~j-~;~-~t~: es·p;~i;ll;B;~k=t~=s;hool Night. -···---
I
_ _ _ _ . _ __ _ _ ______ ···--i can be used _district wide -not specific to a school. ________________ ··-· _
Pa~~nt Name Badge J.?~~-:-~::.~~~--------------------------------__________________________ ·--___ _
Purpose I Identifies parents at an event as being interested in carpooling to assist engagement
• with other interested parents. r ·--------·u;~ I Cre;t-ed·f~r use at s~h-;~-e~~t~,-esp;~;~lly B;~k-t~~S~hool N.ight.
I Use in combination with the parent contact card .
. p~~~; --Pu:~,;[;:;~:;;;/:;,~j;;:;~:~:;:~~;::;;~~:;:~~ ;;~~:;.;.;,,~:,. ..... ---
: Includes parent testimonial specific to the school.
I >-------------------·-------------·--·---
Use I School events as a tabletop to draw interest and create conversation with volunteers
,__ _______ --;: .. promoting the program. ------------<
Car Window Cling : Size = 3" x 5"
P~rpose : ldentifies-p"a°re~t;~s ·ca~p-;;olers ~nd i~-Zrea~ed-~;·;~ft he cling ~ill ide~tify the school
i as a ca rpooling school (social norms -carpooling is the norm at this school).
Use , Placed inside car window of those who are carpooling.
-------_ _! _____ -------------------
19 I P i3 g e
Implementation
Verification Days
Initial outreach takes place at student residency verification days. Because parents are picking up their student's
teacher assignments and packets, as well as turning in emergency contact cards it is a good opportunity to reach
most parents. This is an introduction to the program for some and an opportunity to prime them for carpooling.
However, parents do often feel squeezed by the many demands at the beginning of the school year. Therefore,
outreach consists of a direct, simple message that you know many parents want to carpool and carpool
connecting tools will be provided to them at Back-to-School Night. Note -if parents identify themselves as
carpoolers, this is a good opportunity to ask for their assistance with promotion of the program through
testimonials, presence at Back-to-School Night, or other school events. The email script is in Appendix C.
Table 11. Verification Days Implementation Timeframes and Tasks r-·---·-------···---·-·-·--,----------·--·---·-------------··-----------------------------------------·-· ---·--
1 Timeframe ' Task
i '
I .
' 2 weeks before , □ Identify 1 to 2 staff members or volunteers to attend each day to communicate the
1 week before
i ,----
1 1 day before
: Day of
program message and hand out flyers.
; 0 Collect outreach materials (listed below). ; i □ Request banner from the district office.
! □ Hang Cool Rides banner.
i -----------·----·-------·---------: □ Send pre-notification email to parents. I
-----····--·-------
OPTION: If you will be conducting the carpool parent match system outreach (through use
of the Google Form) include the link and explanatory text in this email.
: □ Send notification email to parents.
Set up materials and supplies:
□ Table
□ Easel (tabletop, preferably)
□ Cool Rides poster
□ Cool Rides flyers
□ Cool Rides banner
□ Small poster with date and time of Back-to-School Night
□ Pens and paper for parent comments or inquiries
Conduct outreach:
Volunteer hands out name badges, contact cards, and flyers, as appropriate
·1 I
[ ___ _ -.. ------·-------------------------------------------------------------------
20 I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Back-to-School Night
Back-to-School Night is when most parents are on campus at the same time. Although many parents are in a
hurry, there are some social connections that occur during this time. This is an opportunity for parents to signal
their interest in carpooling to each other either verbally, by wearing the Cool Rides name badge, or by handing
out a parent contact card. It is also an opportunity for the principal and teachers to communicate directly to
parents about the importance of carpooling to the school and to get program tools in the hands of parents. The
email and teacher scripts are in Appendix C.
Table 12. Back-to-School Night Implementation Timeframes and Tasks
I ,--------·---------------·--·---'-••---------------------
I Timeframe : Task
2 weeks before i D
! i
Identify 1 to 2 ~taff members or volunteers to hand out program flyers, badges, and
contact cards.
I D i □ i □
Collect outreach materials (listed below).
Request banner from the district office.
Hang Cool Rides banner.
-··--·-----
; 1 week before j □ Send pre-notification email to parents.
l OPTION: If you will be conducting the carpool parent match system outreach (through use
! of the Google Form) include the link and explanatory text in this email.
\ D Send classroom script to teachers along with 5 to 10 parent contact cards. -----------~----------------------------··
1 day before ! □ Send notification email to parents.
~------~~-------------------------
Day of ! Set up materials and supplies:
j □ Table {at a strategic location at the entrance of the school)
i □ Easel {tabletop, preferably)
! □ Cool Rides poster
i □ Cool Rides banner
i □ Pens and paper for parent comments or inquiries
j □ Cool Rides flyers
i □ Cool Rides name badges
: ! □ Cool Rides parent contact cards
L
,_ l---·-·----·-·----·--------------.. . ...... . -------·•-··------.. -. --. -------···---.. -i Conduct outreach:
i □ Volunteer hands out name badges, contact cards, and flyers, as appropriate.
: □ Teachers in the classroom read script and hand out name badges and contact cards.
---'--····--··---· -------
21 I Pa ge
Driver Outreach
Driver outreach is a behavior-change encouragement activity that involves students. Students stand at the
school driveway entrance and exit during peak pick-up and drop-off times holding signs that encourage
carpooling. The students receive training to conduct the outreach. The training takes about 30-minutes and
consists of: (1) A discussion of the project goals and how they are differential for the varied audiences involved
in carpooling (the city, school district, individual school, parents, students); (2) The social science and behavior-
change elements imbedded in the outreach; and (3) Safety and the outreach protocol. The email script is in
Appendix C.
Table 13. Driver Outreach Implementation Timeframes and Tasks r
I Timeframe ! Task
4 weeks before j □ Identify student group to conduct outreach.
-------
2 weeks before i □ Put together a two-to-three-week schedule of students to conduct the outreach.
o Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday for 30-minute morning and afternoon shifts
o 4 students for each shift, 2 each positioned at the driveway entrance and exit
o 1 student on the first day (only) of outreach to hand out flyers to students as they
enter cars
□ Request student outreach signs from the district office.
: □ Request banner from the district office.
i □ Hang Cool Rides banner.
1 week before □ Train students using the Cool Rides Student Training Presentation.
□ Send pre-notification email to parents.
OPTION: If you will be participating in the carpool parent match system (through use of the
Google Form) include the link and explanatory text in the email. !--· _____ , _________ . ___________ _
1 day before □ Send notification email to parents.
---------·------~--------'---------------------·
Day of
22 I P age
Conduct outreach:
□ A student hands a Cool Rides program flyer to students as they enter cars. Note -this
occurs one time only, the first day of outreach.
□ Students hold Cool Rides signs during peak pick-up and drop-off times at the school
driveway entrance and exit.
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Carpool Parent Match System
This outreach method is directed to parents who want assistance creating a carpool. It consists of an email
communication from the principal to all parents
Cool Rides
Avia•.iO~it!.M;cd;t Seh«>!
Ntlghbortiood C,11;,oo{ Matcflillg · RHcll ()Ut, make a p!11n. llfld Sl,ln c.irpeoli110!
CoolRms
COOl diff Rides
SCHOOL CARPOOL
explaining the program and stating they can request
assistance in creating a carpool by clicking on the link
that takes them to a Google Form. Parents complete the
Google Form and receive a reply from the principal with
contact information for other parents who have
completed the form. This outreach method does take 10
to 15 hours of principal time resources early in the school
year, but it is very effective in getting parents to carpool.
Follow-up emails to parents from principals are
recommended to track the success of parents in
carpooling. At the backend of the Google Form
completed by parents is a Google Sheet that includes
fields for tracking principal follow-up emails and parent
responses. The email script is in Appendix C.
Please complete this :.hort form and we will send you contact information for other parents in your
area who want to carpool. Once you receive their con1act information. reach out and rnake a carpool
plan!
Table 14. Carpool Parent Match System Implementation Timeframes and Tasks
Timeframe i Task
!
2 weeks before □ Identify staff to execute the outreach (for confidentiality reasons, likely the principal}.
□ Test the Google Form.
□ Put together an email and parent follow-up schedule.
□ Request banner from the district office.
! □ Hang Cool Rides banner.
--------~---! □ Send pre-notification email to parents. I l~;ek before i
j OPTION: If you will be participating in the carpool parent match system (through use of the
i Google Form} include the link and explanatory text in the email.
i
-·· -·-----·-·---·------------------------------··-···-···•--···-----------·-------
1 day before i □ Send notification email to parents.
-----------------
Ongoing i Conduct outreach from parent responses:
' □ Make parent matches and send match email.
□ Send follow-up email to ask if parent has made contact with the matched parent.
□ Send follow-up email to ask if parents have made a plan.
□ Send a follow-up email to ask if parents have started carpooling.
; Note -track emails and parent responses in Google Sheets (part of the Google Form}.
i ' . _____ ; ___________ ------·---· --·-·---·----~--------------------------------------------------------------------··----·------·--·----------
23 I Pa g e
General School Events
General school event outreach is for program awareness. These events are more likely to occur later than the
optimal time for creating behavior changes (i.e., early in the school year when parents are modifying their
schedules). The materials and resources needed to conduct the outreach can be adapted to the event. The
email script is in Appendix C.
Table 15. General School Events Implementation Timeframes and Tasks
,---------! Timeframe : Task
1 2 weeks before i □ Identify volunteers to promote carpooling and hand out program materials.
□ Collect outreach materials (listed below).
□ Request banner from the district office.
□ Hang Cool Rides banner.
1 week before i □ Send pre-notification email to parents. ! -----·--··-·-·--···----·--·-----------·
1 day before ! □ Send notification email to parents.
' Day of
-------~------------------------
Set up materials and supplies:
□ Table (at a strategic location)
□ Easel (tabletop, preferably)
! □ Cool Rides poster
i □ Cool Rides banner
i □ Pens and paper for parent comments or inquiries
i □ Cool Rides flyers
! □ Cool Rides parent contact cards
! Conduct outreach:
! □ Volunteer communicates program message and hands out contact cards, and flyers, as
appropriate. [ ---•---------· ------~---· ...... ·----~----···----·-· ...... -,, ·-
24 I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Appendix A
Parent Survey Pre-notification Email
Email 1 English:
Dear Parents,
Aviara Oaks Elementary School and the City of Carlsbad are working together to explore the creation of a
carpooling program for our school, as part of the national Safe Routes to Schools Program.
The first step is to gather information from our school community about how students currently get to and from
school. Please keep your eye out for a short parent survey that will be delivered two ways:
• An online survey delivered via an email from me next week.
• A paper version of the survey included in weekly packets for K-2 grade students.
You can take the on line or the paper version of the survey. Your responses will help us craft a pilot program that
best meets the needs of our community.
Thank you.
Email 1 Spanish:
Queridos Padres,
Como parte del Programa nacional Rutas Seguras a las Escuelas, La Escuela Primaria Aviara Oaks y la Ciudad de
Carlsbad estan trabajando juntos para explorar la creacion de un programa piloto que creara transporte
compartido a la escuela para nuestros estudiantes.
El primer paso es juntar informacion de nuestra comunidad sobre como los estudiantes actualmente llegan y
regresan de la escuela. Por favor, este atento a un breve cuestionario para padres que sera entregado de dos
maneras:
• Una version electronica, del cuestionario, que sera enviada por correo electronico la proxima semana.
• Una version de papel, del cuestionario, sera incluida en los paquetes semanales para estudiantes de
grados K-2°.
Puede tomar el cuestionario en lfnea o la version de papel. Sus respuestas nos ayudaran a construir un programa
piloto que mejor satisface las necesidades de la comunidad.
Gracias.
25 I Pa ge
Parent Survey Email with Link
Email 2 English:
Dear Parents,
Please join other parents at Aviara Oaks Elementary in completing the survey related to best practices of the
Safe Routes to Schools Program. We want to hear from you. This survey is brief and should take you no longer
than five minutes to complete. Your answers will be combined with others' and shared with the city to help us
create ways to benefits our families at Aviara Oaks Elementary School.
If you have a child in kindergarten, first, or second grade-you will be receiving a paper survey from your child's
teacher. You can fill out the on line or paper version. To help us with sorting out the responses, please complete
only one version. The paper version may be turned into your c.hild's teacher. All surveys (on line and paper
versions) must be complete and turned in by April 10.
Here is the link to the on line survey: https://www.research.net/r/AviaraOaksElementarySchool
We look forward to continuing to provide ways to create safe and efficient ways to better our students and
community. Thank you for your participation.
Email 2 Spanish:
Queridos Padres,
Los invitamos a unirse con otros padres de Aviara Oaks Elementary en completar un cuestionario relacionado
con las mejores practicas del Programa Rutas Seguras a las Escuelas. Queremos escuchar de usted. Este
cuestionario es breve y no debe tomar mas de cinco minutos para completarlo. Sus respuestas seran
combinadas con las de otros y se compartiran con la ciudad para ayudarnos a crear programas para beneficiar a
nuestras familias en la Escuela Primaria Aviara Oaks.
Si tiene un hijo(a) en kindergarten, primero o segundo grado, recibira una version en papel del cuestionario del
maestro de su hijo(a). Puede completar la version electronica o en papel. Para ayudarnos a ordenar las
respuestas, complete solo una version por cada hogar. La version en papel se puede devolver con en el maestro
de su hijo(a). Todos los cuestionarios (version electronica y de papel) deben estar completas y entregadas antes
del 10 de abril.
Aquf esta el enlace para la version electronica del cuestionario:
https://www.research.net/r/AviaraOaksElement arySchool
Esperamos seguir trabajando juntas para crear cambios nuevos, seguros y eficientes para mejorar a nuestros
estudiantes y nuestra comunidad. Muchas gracias por su participacion.
26 I Pa ge I -
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
• Parent Survey English
Parent: carpool Survey
This survey is about how our :Students get to a111d from school. lhe SUJYeYWiU take less than five minutes to-complete.
Thank yau in actvanre for your time. !Please complete only one survey per household.
Sunrevs mav be !f1etumed to vour child's teacher bv Wedne!idav, Aoril 10.
1. How many cfl ildren do you have in ea.ch of the foUo\ving grades?
K: l'l: 2r"': 3rd: 4th: 51h: 6th: 7th: g1h:
Please complete the survey fo1 the youngest child in your household.
2. On most dai,•s, how does '{•our child arrive at schoal? 3. On most days, how does your child .leave from schaaf? . □Walk □Bike □Walk □Bike
□ School bus □ Family car (only your chHdren} 0 School b·us □ Family car (only your children],
□ carpool (children from mherfamilies) □ Car.pool (children from other families}
0 My child d•oesn't go directly home, goes to after-school actiYity
□ Other □ Other
4. How long does it norm a l!y take your child to get to schoal? 5. How I ong does it norrmal ly take your chitd t o
.get home from school?
minutes mi111.1tes □ Child doesn't go straight home
6. Here are some reasons why people might or might not carpool to get their child to and from sdhool. Using a .scale from Oto 10,.
where 0 equals completely disagree, and 10 equa,ls campletely agre,e, please rate your agreement with the following statements.
lwould ... Completely Disagree Completely Agree
a. join a carpool to reduce the days I need to drive. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
b. join a carpool to help reduce traffic ,at the school. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 g 9 10
C. join a carpool as a way for my child to get to !mow other children. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
d. not join a carpool because my car is t oo small. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 g 9 10
e. allow my child to carpool, but only with parents I know. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
f. like to carpool, but I don't know any famili,es nearby. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 g 9 10
g. carpool to save on gas money. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 g 9 10
h. carpool to help the environment. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
i. carpool because it would be fun for my child to be with m ends. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
j, not join a carpool because it would be difficult with my schedule. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
k. join a carpool to motivate my chi,ld to be on time in the morning. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I. not join a carpool because organizing it would be too difficult. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ·;} 10
m. carpool as a way for me to get to -know other parents. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 g 9 10
ll. not carpool because I have safety concerns. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Not at all Likely . Very Likely
7. If there were a phone app to help you be part of a carpool, how Ukel'ywould ~·ou
beto us:e it? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
~lot at all Interested Very Interested
8. How interested aire vou in carpooling t o get your chrnd to and from school? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 g 9 10
9. In thinking about carpooling to get ~•our child to and frnm school, what chaUenges or concerns do you have?
Thjs survey rs a partnersh(rJ b.etween the a iy of Carisbad a11d A•1iam Oaks Elernent,:ny and Jlfiddle School.',;
271 Page
Parent Survey Spanish
Cuestionario de Transportaci6n Compartido Para Padres
Este cuestionario es sobre ccimo nuestros estudiantes Hegan a la escuela y n~gesan .a casa. 1EI cuestionario tom.ara menos de cinoo
rninutos par.a completar. De antemano, le agradezro por su tiempo. Por favor complete solo un cues,tionario por hoga:r.
Los cuestionarios se oueden devolver a la maestra de su hiiolal a:ntes del mierooles 10 de Ab.d.l •
1. .e.Cuantos hijos tienes en cada uno de los :siguientes grados?
K: 1': 2·: :r: 4": s·: £": 7': .s·:
Por favor complete este cuestion.ario para el niifo mds peq.ueiio en su hogar.
2. En !a ma,,•orfa de los dias, l;romo llego su hijo(a) a la esrnela? l. En la mayorfa de fa~ dias, .!.como regreso de la escuela su hijo{a)?
□Caminando □ Bicicleta □ Caminando □ Bicicieta
□ Autobus escolar □ Coche familiar {solo su hijo(a)1 □ Autobus esrolar □ Coct1e familiar (solo :su hijo{a)}
□ Compartiendo el •,eh iculo {su hijo(a} y ninos de otras □ Compartiem:lo el vsehfrnlo (su hijo{a) y nines de otras familias)
familia:sJ □ Ml hijo(a} no regresa directa:mente a casa, va a actividades
despues de la, escuela.
□ Otra opci6n □ Otraopci6n
4 .. i cuanto tiempo, toma, rrormalmente, su hijo(a1) para 5. ,;.Cuanto tiempo toma, norma lmente, su hijo(a) para
1/egar a Ia escuela? IJ.egar a casa de la escuela?
minutos minutos □ Mi hijo(a) rro va, directamente a casa
6. Estas son algunas de las razorres por las cuales las per.sona.s pueden o no compartir el viaJe para que sus hijo.s vayan y regresen de la
esruela. Usando, una esca la de 0 a 10, donde 0 es iotalmente en desacuerdo y 10 es comp/etamente de ocuerdo,
calmq 1.1e rna nto ~ de acuerdo con las siIDJ ientes afirm acio nes.
C.ompletamente Completamen.te
en des:aruerdo de acuerdo
a. Yo compartiria e:1 viaje para reducir los dfas ,que necesito conducir. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
b. Yo compartiria ,eJ viaje para ayudar a redudr el trafico en la escuela. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
C. Yo compartiria el viaje. para que mi hijo(a) pueda conocer a otros nines. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
d. No me unirfa a un viaje compartido, porque mi coche es demasi<1do pequeiio. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
e. P•ermitiria a mi hijo(a} compartir el viaje, pero solo con los padres que conozco. 0 1 2 3 4 s 6 7 8 9 10
f. Me gustarfa compartir un Yiaje, p,ero no conozco ninguna familia cercas de mi. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 .9 10
g. Yo companiria, e'I viaje para ahorrar en ell dinero de la gasolina,. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 w
h. Yo c,ompartiria el viaje para ayudar ail medic ambiente. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
i. Yo compartiria el viaje porque serf a divertido para mi hijo(a) estar con amigos. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 w
j. No me unirfa a un viaje compartido, porque ser1a diffcil con mi horario. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
k. Yo comp.artiria el viaje para motivar a mi hijota) a negar a tiempo a la mafiana. 0 1 2 3 4 s 6 7 8 9 10
I. No me unirfa a Lm ,•iaje compartido porque organizarlo serfa demasiado diffcil. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
m. Compartirfa el1 viaje para, conocer a otros padres. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
n. No comparto el viaje me preocuJ)a la seguridad de mi hijo(a). 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
N.ada proi>able Muy proba!J.le
7. Si hubiera una aplicacion de telefono para ayuc:larte as.er parte de un viaje 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 g 9 10 ,~om pa rtid o, lq ue: tan probable seria, q:ue lo u.saras?
Nada interes:ac:!o Muy interesado
8. l Que tan imeresado esta en compartir elautom6vil para llevar a .su hijo(a) a la
.esru,ela ?' 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9., Cuando piensa en compartir el autom6vn/viaje pa1ra que su hijo[a) vaya y ven~ de la escuela, lque desventajas o preocupaciones
tiene?
E:ste ru,~stton.arto es wrn ill'C{;iacfon en tre la cimtr:id de Carisbady las BSruefus pnmarias y secr.tmian·as Aviara Oaks"
28 I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Ro utes t o School Pilot Program
Appendix B
Student Tally Form
Data Collection Form I March 26 & 27. 2019
he Tl'm'el Toly Project is on in-clossrot> data collection exercise to capture how students 1l'avel lo and
from sc· ooi. Ano:lysis of students· travel behavior assists S-c1fe Rou tes fo School (S!RTS) i , developi g p'ans
to reduce speed ond promote respon.sible ravel by advlls and c· ifdren o , ovr cily ~ree •· Thank you for
joining other schoo, by collecfing your data on March 26 ond 21. 2019.
SCHOOLNAM,E:
DATA COLLECTION DATE
INSTRUCTIONS
CLASS'ROOM
NUMBER
I I I I I
• Explain thot you wiJ be mking t.vo q~•estions: "How
did yov travel ·ro school I ·_s morning~·· -and "How will
you __ ave school tcd-ay?"'
• Before askin'.;J511LJdents. lo-raise 1heir ands, pleo~.e re-ad
a II pc:t;ib!e a ns•Ner choices so the}' k o•N their choices
before aruwe-ring.
• Each :;:ludentmoyonly arawer onoe-.
• Te1 students lo rai:;e the'r handl o y once for eooh
que-slio n. (Be creative v,rjth your younger student~ to
. support this outcome].
TEACHER'S LAST NAME:
CLASS
SIZE
[D
GRADE.•
(TK, K, 1, 2 .. ,}
[D
.. r Oter-e .are mulrp:eg_ra,;e J!~ie.i.; ;,., ~! c.1asJiw.m_. 11cte me rarg.e~ p.rc\."'-'n::in.,
aro ~';J/l(;me rar.ge~rgr:;i:,e:i!f me c~rm:er.t to,.
,. Rea d the t,avelchoices one at o time-. They may
c oose c y one mode of travel.
,. C oun.t the ho nd!s raised -.•,hen e-:::i oh travel choice
cpti-an is anr,ounced and •Mile the number in fhe
appropriate box.
2 Ml'; ow wl you le;rve sthool todayi" ------,. Count the hands mised-.,;hen each travel choice
opfi on is announced .
,. l'le-ase-confirm "'io .. and "From" c ounts ore equ al.
E;r,;ploirr anydiscreporrcie.s:inthe commerrl box on
bOJck of this fCl'm.
SIJRVEY OAY Tvesday I
Wednesday : I I I I f Of stlfDfNfS l!UllVEYEO: ____ WEATHER: Slf-SUNNY
,RA-IIAINY
OV -OVERCAST
S(ODiEP., 7.A.'JEOO'AID, FM.I LY Vl!IIIClf CARPOOL PU8llC fflJUfSIT WAI.I( BIKE SCttOOUW5 [!<lll>'tt<n:!I HCWEIIBoARI> jl r.mily in =1 ,i;,thea,;] J.'ktro t.r idly t!.i.~ .Wt!NTf
111111 DJ DJ DJ DJ DJ DJ DJ
hHHIIII DJ DJ DJ DJ DJ DJ DJ
29 I Page
Appendix C
Verification Days
Principal Email
Dear [SCHOOL NAME] Parents,
I am excited to tell you that [SCHOOL NAME] School and the City of Carlsbad have launched a carpool program
called Cool Rides School Carpool. We will have a table set up during our residency verification days.
Please make a plan with other parents you know to carpool to school. For parents, carpooling means fewer
days in drop-off and pick-up lines, S.IJ you can get to work earlier or have time to do other things. For students,
it's a fun way to start the day. And for [SCHOOL NAME], carpooling will reduce traffic at drop-off and pick-up
which makes those time periods safer and less stressful for everyone.
-CLOSING-
30 I Pa ge
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot PrograJ
Back-to-School Night Announcement Flyer for Verification Days
·iar: ak.s
b ement ry S . ool
Back-to-School Night is
September 4th •
Come see us to pick up
your Cool Rides
badge and parent
contact card.
31 I Page
Back-to-School Night
Principal Pre-Notification Email
Dear [SCHOOL NAME] Parents,
I am excited to tell you that [SCHOOL NAME] School and the City of Carlsbad are launching a carpool program
called Cool Rides School Carpool. You may have seen Cool Rides program information when you visited campus
for residency verification.
Please make a plan with other parents you know to carpool to school. For parents, carpooling means fewer
days in drop-off and pick-up lines, so you can get to work earlier or have time to do other things. For students,
it's a fun way to start the day. And for [SCHOOL NAME], carpooling will reduce traffic at drop-off and pick-up
which makes those time periods safer and less stressful for everyone.
At Back-to-School Night we will have we will have Cool Rides name tags available as you walk onto campus so
you can easily identify other parents you know who want to carpool. Also, pick up the Cool Rides contact cards
-these will make exchanging information with other parents quick and easy.
Please pick up these helpful materials at Back-to-School Night and let's make a positive impact on our
environment, families, and school.
OPTION: ADD CARPOOL PARENT MATCH SYSTEM LANGUAGE IF YOU HAVE SET UP THE GOOGLE FORM
If you would like help finding another family interested in carpooling, please click on this link and complete the
short form. I will get back in touch with you when I find another interested family in your neighborhood. [ADD
LINK]
-CLOSING-
Teacher Script for Classrooms (Placed on an envelope with name badges and contact cards inside)
Thank you, teachers, for supporting our Cool Rides School Carpool program.
Please read this message to parents:
➔ As you probably know, Hope Elementary School and the City of Carlsbad
are launching a pilot carpool program called Coo/ Rides School Carpool.
➔ Look around the room to see parents wearing the Coo/ Rides name tags -please
join these parents by making a plan to carpool to school. Who else would like a
name tag? I also have Coo/ Rides contact cards. These cards make exchanging
information with other parents quick and easy.
32 I Page
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Follow-up Email
Dear [SCHOOL NAME] Parents,
I want to remind you that [SCHOOL NAME] School and the City of Carlsbad have launched a carpool program
called Cool Rides School Carpool. You may have seen Cool Rides program information when you visited campus
for residency verification or at Back-to-School Night.
Please make a plan with other parents you know to carpool to school. For parents, carpooling means fewer
days in drop-off and pick-up lines, so you can get to work earlier or have time to do other things. For students,
it's a fun way to start the day. And for [SCHOOL NAME], carpooling will reduce traffic at drop-off and pick-up
which makes those time periods safer and less stressful for everyone.
You can pick up the Cool Rides contact cards in the office -these will make exchanging information with other
parents quick and easy.
OPTION: ADD CARPOOL PARENT MATCH SYSTEM LANGUAGE IF YOU HAVE SET UP THE GOOGLE FORM
If you would like help finding another family interested in carpooling, please click on this link and complete the
short form. I will get back in touch with you when I find another interested family in your neighborhood. [ADD
LINK]
-CLOSING-
33 I Page
Driver Outreach
Principal Email
Dear [SCHOOL NAME] Parents,
[SCHOOL NAME] School and the City of Carlsbad are working together on Cool Rides, a carpool program for our
school, as part of the national Safe Routes to Schools Program. At [SCHOOL NAME] we have many families who
carpool their students to school-so, thank you! With Cool Rides, we are asking even more [SCHOOL NAME]
parents to carpool-we want to lead the way in our district to reducing school traffic and increasing student
safety. And, we want to help [SCHOOL NAME] families to simplify their schedules.
I am excited to announce that our student leadership team will be promoting the Cool Rides program. Over the ,
next two weeks, you will see our students holding signs during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up
encouraging more parents to carpool. We will also have students handing out Cool Rides flyers at afternoon
drop-off.
Call a friend and make a plan to carpool. It's the right thing to do for you and the environment.
OPTION: ADD CARPOOL PARENT MATCH SYSTEM LANGUAGE IF YOU SET UP THE GOOGLE FORM
If you would like help finding another family interested in carpooling, please click on this link and complet e the
short form. I will get back in touch with you when I find another interested family in your neighborhood. [ADD
LINK]
-CLOSING-
34 I Page
Carpool Parent Match System
Dear [SCHOOL NAME] Parents,
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
[SCHOOL NAME] School and the City of Carlsbad are working together on Coo/ Rides, a carpool program for our
school, as part of the national Safe Routes to Schools Program. At [SCHOOL NAME] we have many families who
carpool their students to school -so, thank you! With Coo/ Rides, we are asking even more [SCHOOL NAME]
parents to carpool-we want to lead the way in our district to reducing school traffic and increasing student
safety. And, we want to help [SCHOOL NAME] families to simplify their schedules.
Call a friend and make a plan to carpool. It's the right thing to do for you and the environment.
If you would like help finding another family interested in carpooling, please click on this link and complete the
short form. I will get back in touch with you when I find another interested family in your neighborhood. [ADD ·
LINK]
-CLOSING-
35 I Page
General School Events
Dear [SCHOOL NAME] Parents,
[SCHOOL NAME] School and the City of Carlsbad are working together on Cool Rides, a carpool program for our
school, as part of the national Safe Routes to Schools Program. At [SCHOOL NAME] we have many families who
carpool their students to school -so, thank you! With Coo/ Rides, we are asking even more [SCHOOL NAME]
parents to carpool-we want to lead the way in our district to reducing school traffic and increasing student
safety. And, we want to help [SCHOOL NAME] families to simplify their schedules.
This [week, tomorrow], we will be promoting the Cool Rides program. You will see a table with our students and
volunteers encouraging parents to carpool.
Call a friend and make a plan to carpool. It's the right thing to do for you and the environment.
-CLOSING-
36 I Page
Outreach Materials
Banner
COOL
Rides ------"'i·:."'it
SCHOOL CARPOOL
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
Let's have an easier, faster
drop-off and pick-up!
Make a carpool plan with parents you know.
·-· ·-· !!.
(City of
Carlsbad
37 I Page
Name Badge
Contact Card
COOL
Rides
SCHOOL CARPOOL
38 I Page
Flyer
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
COOL
Rides
SCHOO L CARPOOL
At AOES, let's have an easier, faster
drop-off and pick-up.
Make a carpool plan with parents you know to:
;· ,C I carpool with families
In my neighborhood
because ti's convenient,
and for working families,
it's essentlaL And It's fu~
when I was a kid, I loved
gettJng off the school bus
with my friends, so I'm
recreating this experience
for my family. _; )
. .:·_,-,,:._ .. , ....... _ ..
G tcon etc d b u
•ffaJlourfamJliescarpooledwithjuJ.tomoth«famlly,
there woald be haH as many ca,s at schaol--llAl.Fr
Help our kids start the day
in a happy way wftb friends-
Get ourselves to work earlier
or have more spare time-
Have a positive impact on
the env'ironment--
And, have fewer cars for a
faster drop-off and pick~up!
CarlsbaJ ,•
y u ain
(city of
Carlsbad
39 I Page
Program Poster
COOL
Ride
SCHOOL CARPOOL
At AOES, let's have an easier, faster
drop-off and pick-up. ---
Make a carpool plan with parents you know to:
-( I corpool with fumflles
In my n~ghborl;ood
be.::ouse· Ws ('()IWWUfflf,
and f i>I workln9 famffles.
Ws essential • .And It's fun-
whim I ·was ti kid, 11,wed
geftJng o.ff the school 00$
wnh my friends, .ro l"m
reaeatmg rhk expmeru
.for my fom11y. / }
"If all op1tama;n ca,paoAed wwhjust Dl1' atllff famll)i.
1"-n,titullldll,,Wa monyc:Offatllhoot HAu:t·
40 I Page
Help our kids start the day
1n a happy way with fri nds-
Get ourselve.s to work ea1rlier
or have :m,ore spare tim:e-
Have a positive impact on
the envi:ronment-
And, have-fewer cars for a
f aste.r drop-off and pkk:-up.!
CDrlsbaU
i I '
y
(c l~y o(
Carlsbad
Student Hand-held Signs for Driver Outreach
COOL
i e
SCHOOL CARPOOL
Car Window Cling
COOL
Ride~______,
SCHOOL CARPOOL
City of Carlsbad: Safe Routes to School Pilot Program
----"'\...: ~~ (cityof
Q~-1~.,t~• ·, Carlsbad
41 I Page