It’s August and families are getting back to school! As you buy backpacks and school supplies for your kids, I hope you and your family will also consider HOW your student will get to and from school this year.
If you live close enough, walking or bicycling are fun and healthy ways for children to get to school, but you also want to be sure your kids are taking the safest routes to school. Below are some great tips to make sure your child’s commute is the safest it can be.
Every year, the Cupertino Union School District partners with our six cities, who are providing safe routes to school, through crossing guards, protected bike lanes, school site safety patrols, Walk-on-Wednesdays programs, Walking School Buses, and more, to help create a culture where walking and biking to school are encouraged. If you haven’t already talked to your kids about the resources available at your school site, please reach out to your school principal and ask! We would love to get more of our families walking and biking to school!
As a parent, I understand how much of a commitment this is for the family – it means getting up earlier, planning more, and spending more time on the commute.
But the investment you make during that time will be well worth it – your kids will make cherished memories that will stay with them forever – I know my kids will always remember doing Walking School Bus, picking up friends along the way as we walked to school, walking to the library every day after school.
Choose the safest routes from your home to school that provide space to walk and have the least amount of traffic and lowest speeds.
Leave yourself a margin of time to ensure you arrive at school early or on-time.
Stay on the sidewalk and be aware of traffic in the area.
If there is no sidewalk, walk and stand facing traffic.
When near the street, don’t push, shove, or chase other students.
Students should not be distracted while walking or biking – don’t wear headphones or text, so you can hear the sounds of oncoming traffic.
Use the “Cross the street safely” instructions for crossing.
I hope you’ll consider walking or biking as a real option. If it’s brand new to you, start with doing it once a week – on Walk-n-Roll Wednesdays. Most school sites will have a program with stickers or other incentives to encourage students. Live too far away? Drive to a closer location, like the nearby park or church, and walk from there! There’s lots of ways to move the needle just a little bit and make a huge difference.
Good luck to everyone who is winding down summer activities and gearing up for school!
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