Education
Schools and colleges provide not only education for students, but also employment for staff and programs for families and the community at large. In this section, we consider barriers to educational access as they relate to walkability, bikeability, and transit service (for colleges). We did not evaluate public transit access to schools since almost all schools in Dutchess provide bus service. See our Methodology document (.pdf) for more information, and our Barriers to Basic Needs Map for details.
Public Schools
How walkable are the areas around our schools?
All school districts in Dutchess County provide some level of busing. However, some districts only provide it for students who live beyond a certain distance from their school. Walking to school, though rare in most of our county, is a healthy way to start the day and has numerous other benefits (see sidebar).
There are 72 public schools serving grades K-12 in Dutchess County (though a few schools share locations). Almost 40 percent of these (27 schools) are fairly walkable, with at least 20 percent sidewalk coverage; these include schools in the cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon and most schools in villages. A similar amount (26 schools) have no sidewalks—these include schools in both suburban and rural areas. The remaining 19 schools have limited sidewalks, which often makes walking infeasible.
Many of our schools were built in outlying areas, due in part to school siting policies that require large amounts of land. These locations often do not have sidewalks and are not close enough to clusters of housing to make walking to school a realistic option.
How many schools have access to a rail trail?
Schools with access to a rail trail provide students, staff, and community members the option of safely bicycling to school, which, like walking, has numerous physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. However, only three schools are within a half-mile of a rail trail: Fishkill Plains Elementary in East Fishkill, Sojourner Truth Elementary in the City of Poughkeepsie, and Arthur S. May Elementary in the Town of Poughkeepsie. All are near the Dutchess Rail Trail, but none have a dedicated on- or off-street bicycle connection (bike lane or path) to the trail. In other cases, such as Gayhead Elementary in East Fishkill, a school is relatively close to a rail trail, but the neighborhood streets do not connect to the trail.
The proposed Beacon Hopewell Rail Trail would serve several public schools, including Fishkill Elementary, Glenham Elementary, and Brinkerhoff Elementary in Fishkill and Sargent Elementary in Beacon.
WHY WALK TO SCHOOL
Research has found many benefits for walking to school. These include:
- Higher academic performance
- Improved alertness/ability to concentrate
- Lower levels of stress
- Increased happiness and relaxation
- Improved physical fitness
- Increased sense of independence
- Reduced traffic around school, leading to improved safety and reduced air pollution
Parents often worry about students’ safety if they walk to school. However, research shows that kids are more likely to be injured when driven than when walking. Walking in groups with adult leaders (a Walking School Bus) is one common approach. Students also learn traffic safety skills by walking.
Average Sidewalk Coverage Around Schools by District
*The Poughkeepsie City School District and Beacon City School District are ‘walking districts’ that do not provide busing except in limited cases.
What We Heard
“Kids who are supposed to walk to school don’t because the routes aren’t safe. So, parents drive them. That causes a whole lot of other issues.”
– Moving Dutchess Forward survey
Colleges
How walkable are the areas around our colleges?
There are six colleges in Dutchess County: Dutchess Community College (DCC), DCC-South (in Fishkill), Marist University, Bard College, Vassar College, and the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
Many college students live on campus and others commute by car (particularly to DCC and DCC-South). However, sidewalk coverage around a college allows students to live nearby and walk to campus, for students and staff to walk between the campus and nearby destinations, and for the adjacent community to take advantage of events and other opportunities on campus.
Sidewalk coverage within a half mile ranges about 45 percent at Vassar and 40 percent at Marist to about 20 percent at DCC and the CIA and less than 10 percent at DCC-South and Bard. While most campuses have extensive internal paths, sidewalk connections to the surrounding area from most of our colleges are limited.
How frequent is bus service to our colleges?
In addition to walking, college students could use public transit to access campuses and travel between the campus and nearby destinations. Three of the six colleges have frequent bus service on weekdays: DCC-South, Marist, and Vassar. Bard, the CIA, and DCC have somewhat frequent service.
While classes are generally on weekdays, college-related events and activities occur on weekends. Saturday service is similar to weekday service.
On Sundays, Vassar has somewhat frequent service and DCC-South has infrequent service; the other colleges have no service. See our Bus Access section for more information.
How many colleges have access to a rail trail?
Three of the six colleges are located within a half mile of a rail trail: Marist, which is near the Northside Line and Dutchess Rail Trail; DCC, which is near the Dutchess Rail Trail; and Vassar, which is near the Dutchess Rail Trail. In addition, an on-road portion of the Empire State Trail runs through the Bard campus, on Annandale Road.
The Northside Line Phase 2 project would add a direct connection into the Marist campus. Improved connections between the Dutchess Rail Trail and both DCC and Vassar would provide students and staff with more transportation options.
Our Role
Based on this analysis, our role could include the following:
- Improve walking access to schools and colleges. Work with partners to fill gaps in sidewalk networks near schools, focusing on schools in centers. A Safe Routes to School planning study could identify the most promising locations. Also work with partners to provide more complete sidewalk networks near colleges.
- Promote bicycle connections to schools and colleges. Very few of our schools and colleges are accessible via a rail trail. In some locations, a connection could be provided either via an off-road path or a low-volume street. A trail access study could identify and prioritize these and other trail connection projects.
- Improve transit service to colleges. Encourage colleges, particularly Marist, the CIA, and DCC-South to consider agreements with County Public Transit to allow students (and staff) to ride County buses for free (see sidebar).
- Continue pedestrian safety education programs in partnership with the County Health Department. Our Watch Out For Me campaign includes educational programs for students.
Sidewalk Coverage Near Colleges
*This does not account for internal campus paths that are not along streets.
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
Safe Routes to School is a movement to provide safe, comfortable and convenient ways for students to walk or bicycle to school. Safe Routes to School programs take many forms, but often involve the following:
- Engagement- understanding the issues and concerns of parents, students and school staff
- Equity- ensuring that all students can benefit from Safe Routes to School
- Engineering- improving sidewalks, crossings, and bicycle facilities
- Encouragement- hosting events like Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day (such as a bike bus) to encourage kids, families, and schools to try walking or bicycling to school
- Education- teaching students and families how to walk and bike safely
- Evaluation- assessing the effectiveness of the program and making changes as needed
One example of Safe Routes to School planning is our Spackenkill Road Sidewalk Feasibility Study, which evaluated the potential for a sidewalk to provide access to Spackenkill High School and nearby schools from adjacent residential areas. Additional resources are available on the Safe Routes Partnership website.
EXPANDING ACCESS: TRANSIT PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
Vassar College, Bard College, and DCC currently have agreements with Dutchess County to allow students (and for Vassar and Bard, also staff) to ride County buses for free, with the full fare reimbursed by the college. In 2025, DCC students took almost 31,000 rides, accounting for about 4% of Public Transit’s fixed route ridership. This was followed by Bard (about 13,000 rides, or 1.5% of ridership) and Vassar (about 10,500 rides, or 1.2% of ridership).
Bard also provides its own free shuttle service for students, faculty and staff. One shuttle provides service within the campus, while another runs between campus and the villages of Red Hook and Tivoli. Both operate seven days a week. Bard also provides shuttles to airports and the Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff train stations at the start and end of college semesters and breaks.
County Public Transit also works with the Poughkeepsie City School District to provide bus service to its middle and high school students. In 2025, Poughkeepsie students took more than 64,000 rides, accounting for almost 8% of County Transit’s fixed route ridership.