Safe and Active Trips to School

The Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity has been partnering with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the Safe Kids Coalitions, Feet First, and the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to increase the number of Washington school children who walk or bike to school.

We are trying to help Washington kids be healthier by reversing the trends toward more sedentary lifestyles that have increased obesity and diabetes in our kids. Committed to programs that reduce the environmental and policy barriers to active living in our communities, the WCPPA feels that if we can do that around our schools, all community members will also benefit. We need kids safely walking and biking to school even where we have good physical education programs!

Our Safe and Active Trips to School are based upon Four E’s:

• Education. The Education component is to make sure children learn about the rules of the road as a pedestrian or cyclist. We can’t just send the kids out the door.

• Engineering. Engineering is the reduction of the dangerous traffic situations on the route to school and takes considerable resources and thus advocacy efforts to direct those resources. All Washington school districts are required per Washington Administrative Code 392-151-025 to have a safe routes to school document on file. This document is a good place to start to identify what engineering needs exist.

• Encouragement. Encouragement is programming efforts such as the “Walk-to-School Day”, “Walking School Bus”, “Walking Wednesdays”, and “Walk a Block” that increase the visibility and reduce some barriers by getting kids out with adult supervision.

• Enforcement. Enforcement entails working with police to make sure the children are safe through enforcing the already tough traffic laws around schools.

Schools That Are Walking in Washington.

Want to start a program in your Washington school?

Contact Jane Moore at:

Jane_WCPPA@comcast.net

253.307.9873