Walking Wednesdays

Caitlin and Ellie's yellow school bus pulled up, and soon they were bouncing down our steps and off to school. But this morning, they weren't dropped at the school's front door. Instead they walked .6 miles of sidewalk, arriving just before the first bell.

October 3rd was International Walk to School Day, and the start of our town's six-week Walking Wednesdays program. To kick things off, the buses delivered all 600 students in grades 1 to 4 to a nearby town park to continue on foot with parents and staff volunteers.

It was quite a sight to witness the wave of kids head off on bikes, scooters, and even unicycles, followed by a steady and colorful stream of little legs and giant backpacks flowing along the sidewalk.

And it was even more the spectacle because our town is not what you'd call walkable. There's no grid of sidewalk-lined streets, and you can count the age of this lone sidewalk on one hand. It takes coordination to change the bus routes, line up the policeman to help at the crosswalk, and spread the word. Parents play a key role, because on subsequent Wednesdays, children must be driven to our meeting spot and chaperoned.

Still, regular participants agree it's worth the effort. The walkers arrive at school with some energy spent, ready to settle down and learn, happy to have met a pal and chattered like squirrels all the way. Ditto the parents. Even the teachers remark on the classroom calm on Walk to School Day morning.

To get your walk-to-school program off on the right foot, step over to the National Center for Safe Routes to School (www.saferoutesinfo.org) and International Walk to School (www.walktoschool-usa.org), where you'll find you'll find resources, blueprints, and tips galore.