Safe Routes to School is a program designed to encourage and enable more children to safely walk and bike to school. With statistics like the following, combined with the childhood obesity epidemic, you can see why action needs to be taken nationwide:
• In 1969, 42% of children 5 to 18 walked or bicycled to school.
• In 2001, 16% of children 5 to 18 walked or bicycled to school.
• In 1969, 87% of children who lived within one mile of school walked or bicycled to school.
• In 2001, 63% of children who lived within one mile of school walked or bicycled to school.
Visit www.saferoutespartnership.org for more information.
My kids would love to ride to school, it’s the 30lb backpacks and band instruments that modern school’s require that make it almost impossible.