Changes in the Percentage of Students Who Walk or Bike to School—United States, 1969 and 2001

Abstract

Background:This report describes changes in the percentage of US students (age 5 to 18 years) who walked or bicycled to school and in the distance that they lived from or traveled to their school in 1969 and 2001 and travel patterns in 2001.Methods:Data were from the 1969 National Personal Transportation Survey report on school travel and the 2001 National Household Transportation Survey.Results:A smaller percentage of students lived within 1 mile of school in 2001 than in 1969. The percentage of students who walked or biked any distance decreased from 42.0% to 16.2%. Nearly half of students used more than 1 travel mode or went to an additional destination en route between home and school in 2001.Conclusion:Multidisciplinary efforts are needed to increase the percentage of students who walk or bike to school, as well as decrease the distances that students travel.