Safe Routes to School, a national public health initiative designed to encourage more children to walk or cycle to and from school, will present its annual National Walk & Roll School Day on October 8. Area students of participating schools can learn about pedestrian safety along with positive environmental and personal health impacts by walking or biking to and from school on that day.     

In 1969, 48 percent of students in grades K-8 walked or rode a bike to school; in 2017, this number dropped to 11 percent. Studies have identified safety concerns as the primary reason for the decrease. Safety considerations include traffic volume and speed, sidewalk and crosswalk infrastructure, and environmental factors.

Science teachers can enrich the day with STEM lessons on Pedestrian Safety, available from the Federal Highway Administration which include everyday examples of key concepts, hands-on activities like building mock streetscapes and calculation challenges for older students. For more information and inspiration, download the Story Walking Radio Hour podcast, Walk & Roll to School: The Positive Environmental and Health Impacts, now available at netwalkri.com.

Schools can obtain more information or register to participate by visiting WalkBikeToSchool.org. Also visit SafeRoutesPartnership.org and Highways.dot.gov/safety/pedestrian-bicyclist/step/step-stem-lessons.