The students of Lopes Trovão School create a risk map, as part of On the Way to School Program. (Image: ITDP and WRI Brasil)
In Rio de Janeiro, the daily journey to school can be perilous for many children. With road crashes being a leading cause of death among Brazilian children aged 5 to 14, the city has taken a bold step to ensure that its youngest citizens can walk to school safely. The "On the Way to School 2.0" Program (A Caminho da Escola 2.0) is a pioneering initiative that blends road safety education with infrastructure improvements, setting a new standard for urban safety.
The program, launched in 2008 through a partnership between the Traffic Engineering Company of Rio de Janeiro (CET-Rio) and the Municipal Department of Education, stands out for its collaborative nature. Students and teachers are not just passive beneficiaries; they actively identify road safety issues around their schools and propose solutions. This grassroots involvement ensures that the measures taken are both practical and directly responsive to the community's needs.
In 2021, the program was revitalized with the support of the Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP Brasil) and the FIA Foundation. This revamp aimed to bring the visions of students and teachers to life through tangible improvements. Since then, road redesign and traffic calming measures have been implemented around 50 public schools, and more than 200 schools have received awareness and education actions.
Measuring Success
To understand the program's impact and identify areas for improvement, the World Bank, in collaboration with ITDP Brasil and the World Resources Institute (WRI), conducted extensive road safety audits around 30 schools and implemented over 2,000 interviews with students, caregivers, and teachers. This collaboration underscores the importance of evidence-based policymaking in addressing complex urban challenges.
Supported by the Human Rights, Inclusion, and Empowerment trust fund, the study generated findings that were both revealing and encouraging and will help refine and scale the program.
Walking to school: Nearly half of the students (47%) and more than half of the caregivers (54%) walk to school. Girls and female caregivers are more likely to walk than their male counterparts.
Enhanced road safety knowledge: The program has significantly improved the road safety knowledge of students, teachers, and caregivers. Participants are now more aware of road design interventions that promote safety, such as reduced curvature of corners and narrowed traffic lanes to reduce speed.
Preference for sustainable modes: Students from schools that have benefited from the program show a clear preference for sustainable modes of travel. In a hypothetical scenario of street renovation near their schools, 64% of these students prioritized bicycles and walking, compared to 47% from schools that had not yet received physical road safety interventions.
The road safety audits also led to the creation of a Safe School Surroundings Guide, which provides design guidelines for safe and accessible school areas. This guide is not only a tool for improving the program but also a valuable resource for other cities looking to enhance road safety around schools.
Recommendations for expansion
The program's success with tactical urbanism interventions – known for being rapid and low-cost – highlights the need for follow-up with more robust physical works that require less maintenance. Additionally, combining these efforts with larger-scale urban interventions can maximize road safety benefits. Expanding the scope of interventions will necessitate the involvement of other municipal institutions, such as the education and health departments, and broader community engagement to adopt safer speeds around the schools and to prioritize walking and cycling in street design.
A model for other cities
The journey to school should never be fraught with danger. As cities around the world grapple with similar challenges, Rio's approach offers valuable lessons and a beacon of hope for safer streets and healthier communities.
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