Students from more than 40 countries, including this very one, will be participating in International Walk & Bike to School Day tomorrow, October 7. From a local press release:
Parents as well as students enjoy a morning walk or bike ride to school or to their local bus stop. Along the way they will be making note of any difficulties or areas of concern on a walkability/bikeability checklist. This information is then used to make it safer and easier for the students to get to and from school.
This year, all Champaign and Urbana Elementary Schools are joining 40 countries around the world in this International event to promote safe walking and cycling to schools for our children.
In 2004, the Champaign-Urbana community held its first Walk to School Day. Organized by the C-U Safe Routes to School Project, this event has been a growing success each year. This year, the local schools will be joined by parents, teachers, UIUC student athletes, school board members and community leaders in walking or biking to school or their bus stop to promote efforts to make it safer and easier to walk or bike to and from school.
So, if you have the opportunity, give non-motorized transport a try tomorrow and see how it goes. If there are things that would make the commute safer for you or your child, contact Rose Hudson of the C-U Safe Routes to School Project (217.398.4206) or Cynthia Hoyle of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (217.278.9059). Or just leave them in the comments below and I’ll pass them along.