International Walk to School October 2, 2002: Why is it important? Why should my school participate?
Source: Voorhees Transportation Center
In a situation that repeats itself every day, around every school, parents and caregivers are creating hot boxes of hazardous traffic problems as they drop off and pick up their children in a small area within a short period of time. Walking to school was a very common experience for the previous generation of Americans when about 70% of children walked to school - today it is estimated that only about 10% of children do so. In a single generation short trips that we used to walk (or bike) without thought or question have become automobile trips - in fact, two thirds of children living within only one mile or less of their classrooms arrive by motor vehicle. Some studies attribute up to 27% of morning traffic and congestion to school-related trips. The consequences of driving to school rather than walking are many; they are alarming; and, they are evident in our children's health profiles, diminishing our air quality and depleting resources. This paper looks at possible solutions.
