Walk This Way

A generation ago, it was part of growing up for all kids when they biked or walked to school. But in the last 30 years, heavier traffic, wider roads and more dangerous intersections have made it riskier for students walking or pedaling. Today, fewer than 15 percent of kids bike or walk to school compared with more than 50 percent in 1969. In the last five to 10 years, Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs in a few communities across the United States have been making it easy and safe for kids to get out of their parents' cars and school buses. The success rate has caught the attention of Congress. The goals of this program are threefold: (1) enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk or bicycle to school; (2) make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and (3) facilitate the planning, development and execution of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution. The SRTS program takes a comprehensive approach through the five Es: (1) engineering; (2) enforcement; (3) encouragement; (4) education; and (5) evaluation. KW: SR2S Language: en