Why should children walk or bike to school?

• It’s healthier. Thirty years ago, more than 66% of American children walked to school, and 4% of elementary-age children were overweight. Today only 13% of American children walk or bike to school, and 15% of elementary-age children are overweight. Recommendations for physical activity among children and adolescents vary, but the general consensus is that elementary-age children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day in periods of at least 10 to 15 minutes (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC). It takes about 10 minutes to walk a quarter of a mile or bike an entire mile. So walking to and from school is an easy way for kids to get some of their recommended 60-plus minutes of physical activity each day.
• It’s better for the environment. Fewer car trips mean less air pollutants, which is particularly important for children because their respiratory systems are still developing. The prevalence of asthma among children 5 to 14 years of age has increased 74% in the last 20 years, and studies have shown that air pollution makes asthma symptoms worse (CDC). Auto emissions are the largest cause of air pollution in California. Not only do walkers and bicyclists generate no pollution, they also breathe less pollution than people inside an idling or slow moving car.
• It’s safer. There is safety in numbers, according to results recently published in the Injury Prevention online journal. "A motorist is less likely to collide with a person walking or bicycling if more people walk or bicycle. Policies that increase the number of people walking and bicycling appear to be an effective route to improving the safety of people walking and bicycling." The more people out walking and biking, the safer it is for everyone.
• It reduces traffic. Up to 25% of the morning commute in California can be attributed to parents driving their children to school. Around Montclaire School, during school commute times, that number approaches 100%. As more kids walk and bike to school, traffic decreases, making it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• It’s educational. Walking and biking to school provides children with an increased sense of responsibility, independence, and community awareness. They arrive at school alert, refreshed, and ready to learn. Along the way, children learn traffic awareness and pedestrian safety skills. Parents who walk or bike with their children gain new perspectives on traffic that can make them safer drivers.

Tiger Tracks Useful Links

• California Safe Routes to School Clearinghouse
• National (USA) Walk to School Day Headquarters
• California Walk to School Day Headquarters
• International Walk to School Day
• Spare the Air in the Bay Area – Kaila’s Corner
• California PTA School Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Improvement Resolution
• California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Safe Routes to School Funding Program
• Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) KidsWalk-to-School
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safe Routes to School Toolkit
• Walk San Jose
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
• Los Altos Bicycle Map