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Promoting Safety and Health in the Mobility of Children and Teenagers

January 31, 2024 by Ana María Pinto - Mercedes Mateo - Pablo Ibarrarán Leave a Comment


The lack of safe road infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and the absence of reliable public and school transportation options poses risks to girls, boys, and teenagers during their daily commutes to and from school. The unpredictable nature and different pace of children exacerbate this issue. Consequently, in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), traffic incidents constitute the third leading cause of death among children aged 5 to 14 and the fourth among young adults (GBD, 2019). Additionally, traffic incidents represent between 3% and 5% of LAC’s GDP annually.

To change this situation, the IDB will work in the Regional School Mobility Policy Lab over the next three years. This project aims to support the design, adoption, evaluation, and financial sustainability of Safe, Sustainable, and Inclusive School Mobility programs with positive impacts on the health and education of children and teenagers in LAC. Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and the Dominican Republic are the beneficiary countries interested in strengthening their current strategies while sharing their experiences with the rest of the region.

The Regional School Mobility Policy Lab will produce benefits such as:

  • Generating innovative methodologies for planning, implementation, and evaluation of school route programs
  • Promoting the exchange of experiences
  • Reflecting on sustainability and scalability possibilities

This effort will be carried out in collaboration with government authorities, NGOs, universities, and private entities, such as UNICEF and the FIA Foundation, which will be part of the advisory board.

Addressing school mobility goes beyond simply moving children and teenagers; it involves addressing cross-cutting issues in everyday life in LAC, such as health, transportation, urban development, education, and equity. In other words, discussing school mobility means talking about social well-being and a sustainable future.

The laboratory will work with a multisectoral approach based on lessons learned from academic research and experiences implemented in various cities and countries.

Colombia 

The District Mobility Secretariat of Bogota, Colombia, has worked to promote sustainable environments and safe travel for students in district schools through the Niñas y Niños Primero program. This program comprises eight strategies, including Ciempiés Caminos Seguros, Al Colegio en Bici, and Bici-Parceros, which, in collaboration with the Secretariat of Education, benefit more than 10,000 boys and girls annually, generating over 1.4 million safe and sustainable school trips.

Brazil 

Jundiai, Brazil, is another city benefiting from the initiative. The Entre la Casa y la Escuela program has led to the requalification of 110 municipal school environments and kindergartens. Through a participatory process with students about school routes, specific intervention projects in the city have been originated, including improvements in sidewalks, tree planting, installation of urban furniture, and creation of small play spaces along the paths.

Peru and the Dominican Republic

Since 2020, the Dominican Republic has required the authorities to harmonize aspects of road safety in school environments based on a resolution supported by the IDB. Among other measures, the regulation establishes a maximum speed of 20 km/h in study areas. In Peru, with support from the IDB, the government is creating a guide to implement safe school environments.

Impacts of Safe School Mobility 

Improving transportation systems and ensuring affordable and safe options facilitates access to education, empowering children, teenagers, and young people to reach their potential. School mobility programs promote independent travel from one point to another, regardless of physical or mental conditions. It is an urban development strategy that benefits all its users. 

Promoting the movement of children and teenagers in active modes, complemented by the public transportation system and safely, has positive implications for society. These mobility strategies significantly benefit women, who are often responsible for transporting children to school. Walking, biking, or using public transportation are human-scale experiences that strengthen urban mobility, build a sense of belonging, and promote care for the traveled environment. These modes of transportation encourage using the street as a space for interaction, encounters between acquaintances and strangers, and building bonds and social cohesion.


Filed Under: Infrastructure, Seguridad Vial, Transporte Tagged With: infrastructure, mobility, Road Safety, transport

Ana María Pinto

Ana María Pinto is the Chief of the Transport Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where she also held a position as Principal Transportation Specialist. Previously, Ms. Pinto worked for the Colombian government where she was responsible for the Transport Subdirectorate of the National Planning Department. She also worked for Barnet’s lower mayor’s office in London and the deputy prime minister’s office. Ms. Pinto is an economist from the Universidad del Rosario, Colombia, and has a master’s degree in planning and development from the University College London.

Mercedes Mateo

Mercedes Mateo-Berganza Díaz is the Chief of the Education Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where she leads a large team of specialists and professionals dedicated to transforming education and strengthening learning ecosystems across the region. Her work spans various areas of international development and social policy, with a strong emphasis on improving human capital and reducing inequality. Dr. Mateo-Berganza has made significant contributions in the fields of institutional reform, social cohesion, early childhood, skills development, and labor force participation. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Louvain and has been both a postdoctoral fellow at the Belgian Scientific Research Foundation and a Marie Curie fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute. Mercedes Mateo-Berganza Díaz es la Jefa de la División de Educación en el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), donde lidera un amplio equipo de especialistas y profesionales dedicados a transformar la educación y fortalecer los ecosistemas de aprendizaje en toda la región. Su trabajo abarca diversas áreas en el ámbito del desarrollo internacional y la política social, con un fuerte énfasis en mejorar el capital humano y reducir la desigualdad. La Dra. Mateo-Berganza ha realizado contribuciones significativas en los campos de la reforma institucional, la cohesión social, la primera infancia, el desarrollo de habilidades y la participación en la fuerza laboral. Posee un doctorado en Ciencia Política de la Universidad de Lovaina y ha sido investigadora postdoctoral en la Belgian Scientific Research Foundation e investigadora Marie Curie en el Centro Robert Schuman del Instituto Universitario Europeo.

Pablo Ibarrarán

Pablo is the Social Protection and Health Division Chief. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from the University of California Berkeley and a B.A. in Economics from CIDE in Mexico. He entered the Bank in 2005 as an Evaluation Economist in OVE and also worked as an Economics Lead Specialist in SPD.

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Desde BID Transporte mejoramos vidas en América Latina y el Caribe promoviendo una movilidad más eficiente, accesible y segura.

Descubre nuestro espacio de intercambio de ideas y conocimiento y forma parte de él. Desde Moviliblog, queremos compartir lo último en movilidad y transporte en América Latina y el Caribe e invitarlos a conocer nuestras áreas temáticas: ITS, seguridad vial, grandes proyectos, logística y transporte urbano, así como nuestras temáticas transversales de evaluación de impacto, género y transporte sostenible.

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