Everything old is new again.
There is now a national initiative to encourage children to walk or bike to school.
Of course in 2020 there was no need for such an initiative since the commute to school for most children was no farther than the dining room table or wherever their laptop happened to be.
The Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT) is asking both public and private schools to join the new Safe Routes 2 Schools program (SR2S) program that supports the planning, development and implementation of projects and activities to encourage children of all abilities to walk or bike to school.
Schools are able to join at any time during the school year and will receive complimentary program materials. Schools may also request free educational resources, safety gear and event support.
Schools interested in partnering with GDOT to a host a walk to school event in October should submit a request at least 30 days before the event date.
GDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner Chandler Hagen said in a press release, “Walking or biking to school provides so many benefits. Children arrive at school more alert and ready to learn. Families have the opportunity to get their daily physical exercise and connect with each other and the community. Fewer vehicles in the pickup lane saves money and time, cuts down on roadway congestion, and reduces harmful emissions. We’re looking forward to working with local schools to help spread this message.”
Greensboro SR2S is being funded through an award from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program. Membership is free for elementary and middle schools.
Some of the resources available from SR2S include a step by step guide on how to start a “walking school bus.”
Each walking school bus follows a set route with one or more adults leading it. Children are “picked up” at designated stops along a predetermined route. The process is reversed in the afternoons on the way home from school.
For more information, visit www.greensboro-nc.gov/SR2S.
I was astonished when I came to NC in 1978 to find that school buses stopped at EVERY driveway to pick kids up. Where I came from there were bus stops at major corners usually about a quarter of a mile apart and no stops that were within a mile of a school. Because bus rides were so long most of us who were within 2 miles of schools walked unless it was raining, but “It Never Rains in California.” I was walking almost a mile to kindergarten after my mom walked with me the first week then shadowed me in her car the second. Walking to school is not only healthy but allows kids to make friends, talk, think, and decompress before getting home to do homework. Unless they live in the County where there are no sidewalks I vote for walking as it teaches discipline and humility.
Right!