International Walk and Bike to School Day
October 04, 2006
Today is International Walk and Bike to School Day. The BTA was out in force at schools to help them celebrate the event which raises awareness about the feasibility and importance of helping children walk or bike to school. This morning I spoke with Robert Ping, the youth programs coordinator at the BTA, about the event. He was at Sunnyside Environmental School amidst a huge celebration. Robert told me that here in Oregon, the event has made a huge leap from having the involvement of 12 schools initially to this year having 90 schools participating in the day. Only 30% of all school children walk or bike to school, a drastic decline over the years. One reason for the decline is that parents are nervous about the safety of their children. The BTA is working hard to combat the misconception that biking is inherently dangerous for kids and they are working to make streets around schools safer. They're also in the schools educating children and parents about how to find safe routes to school and the benefits of the physical activity.
In addition to speaking with Robert, I also got to talk with some of the kids who had ridden their bikes to school today. These kids were awesome! Forrest told me that his ride to school is a healthy way to start the day and he likes that it's good for the environment. John told me that it's a good way to clear his head. These kids are definitely off to a great start!
Posted by orbike at October 4, 2006 11:10 AM
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