Bay Area News

As part of International Walk and Roll-school Bay Area parents, students and city officials rode, rolled and I walked to the commitment in the classroom on Wednesday to leave their cars at home.
Local communities from over 40 countries participating in the International Walk and Roll to School Week and today, more than 75 elementary and middle schools in Alameda County on foot or by bike, board skateboards and scooters to school, according to a press release issued by the Alameda County Transportation Commission. The goal is for each event to learn more about their environment and learn about their neighbors because they exercise their way to school.

Kaiser Permanente has partnered with safe routes to school, the organization sponsoring the Walk and Roll to the school day to encourage families to walk to school. The mayors and supervisors of Union City, Fremont, Hayward and San Leandro waved to pedestrians when they arrived at the school.
In 2005, federal legislation established a national safe routes to school program. In addition, sponsorship of events in the Walk and Roll day of school in March and October, the program acts as the administrative staff of the school to identify paths near the campus needed security improvements, such as cross walks and traffic lights.
According to the safe routes to school website, it is hoped, will bring the community together to grow in a given day of days that parents choose to walk children to school. Between 2000 and 2006, pedestrian injuries account for 8 percent of the accidents of children and young adults up to 19 years in the nation, according to the website. The data also suggest an increase in the number of pedestrians is reduced vehicle-pedestrian and bicycle car accident.

In 2010, more than 3,500 schools around the world enrolled in the Walk and Roll to School Day, according to the press release. This number should increase this year.