title: Proximity of California public schools to busy roads.
abstract: Residential proximity to busy roads has been associated with adverse health outcomes, and school location may also be an important determinant of children's exposure to traffic-related pollutants. The goal of this study was to examine the characteristics of public schools (grades K-12) in California (n = 7,460) by proximity to major roads. We determined maximum daily traffic counts for all roads within 150 m of the school using a statewide road network and a geographic information system. Statewide, 173 schools (2.3%) with a total enrollment of 150,323 students were located within 150 m of high-traffic roads (greater than or equal to 50,000 vehicles/day); 536 schools (7.2%) were within 150 m of medium-traffic roads (25,000-49,999 vehicles/day). Traffic exposure was related to race/ethnicity. For example, the overall percentage of nonwhite students was 78% at the schools located near high-traffic roads versus 60% at the schools with very low exposure (no streets with counted traffic data within 150 m). As the traffic exposure of schools increased, the percentage of both non-Hispanic black and Hispanic students attending the schools increased substantially. Traffic exposure was also related to school-based and census-tract-based socioeconomic indicators, including English language learners. The median percentage of children enrolled in free or reduced-price meal programs increased from 40.7% in the group with very low exposure to 60.5% in the highest exposure group. In summary, a substantial number of children in California attend schools close to major roads with very high traffic counts, and a disproportionate number of those students are economically disadvantaged and nonwhite.
authors.affiliation: Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, 1515 Clay Street, 16th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA.
authors.forename: Rochelle S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smorodinsky
authors.forename: Janice J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ostro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044383:Black People; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017150:Public Sector; D012574:Schools; D012923:Social Class; D014186:Transportation; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D001335:Vehicle Emissions