Driven to School:

While children are increasingly being driven to and from schools, it is important to identify the factors that have contributed to this trend. Such information will be helpful for reducing the negative effects of excessive automobile use on the environment, local traffic and public health. This study has collected primary data from three Vermont school districts and used the data to identify the factors that may determine the probability for a student to be dropped off in the morning and the probability for a student to be picked up in the afternoon. The data are also used to examine the impact of alternative factors on the frequency of a student being dropped off in the morning and the frequency of a student being picked up in the afternoon. The research methods used in this study include mail and web-based surveys and a double-hurdle model that uses a binary logit model for the probability of being driven by parents and a linear regression model for the frequency of being driven by parents. The models indicate that convenience is the greatest factor affecting the choice of automobile mode and the amount of weekly parent-driven trips to school. Parent work commutes and perceptions regarding inconveniences of the school bus contribute to the automobile mode being used for school transportation. Ratings of modal safety and environmental opinions about modes are also factors in parent’s decisions to drive their children to school.