City and school officials are promoting International Walk to School Day on Wednesday to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and the benefits to the environment from reducing car trips.
City and school officials are promoting International Walk to School Day on Wednesday to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and the benefits to the environment from reducing car trips.
The City of Evanston and School District 65 have developed maps showing safe routes to each city school.
City officials estimate that streets near schools have 25 percent more traffic at school opening and dismissal times, adding to congestion and circulation problems.
Encouraging students to walk helps reduce those problems and is also good for their health.
The city provides crossing guards at 44 locations to help school children cross streets safely.
Last year school walk routes were reviewed and a School Travel Plan was developed by the city in coordination with School District 65, school administration and PTA members.
The plan has been approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation and subsequently a funding application to improve intersection crossings and sidewalks conditions has been submitted. The city’s goal is to encourage more students to walk to school in a safe manner.
As some schools are already doing, the city encourage parents to get together and take turns to lead the neighborhood students in a “walking-school bus” or a “bike-train” to and from school on the International Walk to School Day and then consider implementing it other times of the school year.