Walk to School

When many of today’s adults were in elementary school,
they walked or biked to school, rain or shine. In 1969,
42% of all students walked or bicycled to school and 87%
of children who lived within a mile of school walked or
biked. In comparison, by 2001, these numbers had
decreased significantly - 16% of students walked or
bicycled to school and 63% of students living within a
mile of school walked or biked. Today, about 25% of students ride buses and another 60% are driven to school.

What has changed? Studies have found that concerns
about safety are the main reason that less children walk
to school. This has several unfortunate consequences and may contribute to the sedentary lifestyle of many children, a factor that plays a role in the nationwide childhood overweight and obesity epidemic. Almost one in three of children ages 2 to 19 is overweight or obese and therefore at greater risk of developing hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, among other health problems.
Walking to school can help children get the exercise they need as part of their daily routine and encourages a lifelong healthy habit. There are several benefits associated with walking to school:
• Increased levels of daily physical activity for children and for parents who accompany their children.
• Increased likelihood that children and adults will choose to walk and bike for other short distance trips.
• Improved neighborhood safety.
• Fewer cars traveling through the neighborhood.
• Fewer cars congesting the pick-up and drop-off points at the school.
• Friendlier neighborhoods as people interact with one another.

Instead of arranging car pools, parents can organize groups of children who walk or cycle to school accompanied by a different adult each day or week. The “walking school bus” consists of one or more adult supervisors and a group of children. A walking route is organized to operate much as a school bus would. The walking school bus group arrives at designated locations at a scheduled time to allow additional students to join the group for a “safety in numbers” trip to school. Visit http://www.walkingschoolbus.org for suggestions on how to start a walking school bus.

International Walk to School Month in October gives children, parents, teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking. For schools that cannot devote a full month to this activity, note that International Walk to School Day is October 8, 2008. Students, parents and teachers may want to meet at a designated location close to the school and walk the remaining distance together. Visit www.walktoschool-usa.org for more information or to register your school.