For a week in May, a new program got kids (and parents) to leave the car at home and walk, bike or rollerblade to school. Walk 'n Roll to School promotes healthy, safe, sustainable transportation—and encourages students to start their day socializing and getting a little exercise, too.
It takes about forty minutes for Jennifer Chen to walk from her home in Chancellor Place to University Hill Secondary School in Wesbrook Village. She doesn’t mind the walk, but it’s a big effort, so her parents usually drive her. Though from May 27–31, Jennifer and her family joined about 185 UTown@UBC residents by participating in Walk 'n Roll to School Celebration Week.
“So many students and their parents got involved because the program promotes a healthy habit of walking to school and keeping the neighbourhood green,” says Jennifer, who is just finishing grade 9. “It really motivated the residents.”
“Not only that, the students got to spend time with their friends, and even make new ones,” she adds. “Overall, I think the project strengthens the connections between each neighbourhood.”
Catching A Walking School Bus
Walk ’n Roll to School is a joint project between UTown@UBC and the University Neighbourhood Association (UNA). At its heart were six neighbourhood “Walking School Buses,” led by parent volunteers in yellow “Walk ’n Roll” t-shirts and hats. Every morning, students were dropped off at designated “stops” and then walked to school together along easy and enjoyable routes.
Every student was given a walking passport and got a sticker to put in it whenever they joined in throughout the week. The last day ended with a celebration rally, with free healthy snacks, where all the participants turned in their passports for a chance to win prizes, including a new bike.
There were also numerous fun activities and safety initiatives for the students, including a yellow theme day (the official Walk ’n Roll to School colour), bike safety checks and a workshop, a cycling rodeo, an RCMP speed watch, educational materials on safe walking and riding behaviour and free reflective stickers and bike lights for poor weather.
Exercise and Decongestion
“We've got two boys, in grades 6 and 4,” says Tim Dow, Co-Chair of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) at University Hill Elementary. “We don't own a car so the boys usually ride their bikes to school, or walk when it's raining.”
“Many UHill Elementary parents were excited for their children to take part in the Walk 'n Roll to School program. The students enjoyed the fun and social aspects of getting to school by foot or bike. They especially liked getting the stickers in their ‘passports’ and the reflector and cap giveaways—and of course, the chance to win a free bike!”
The aspect parents appreciated most was the wholesome exercise the students got before the school day, Dow says. And the help in kicking the car habit.
“Automobile congestion at drop-off and pick-up times can be a problem at the school,” he explains. “We definitely saw less congestion with so many students arriving by people power. More than fifty students walked to school that week and another fifty plus rode their bikes—despite a bit of rainy weather on Tuesday.”
Celebration Week is over, but like many parents, Dow is hoping many kids will continue to walk and ride to school, now that they know how fun and easy it is. And he agrees with the organizers, who wrote on their maps: “This is only one route. UTown@UBC has many roads and paths for pedestrians and cyclists. We encourage you to explore your community and find your favourite way to get to school!”
To learn more, visit the Walk ‘n Roll to School website, which includes information on the value of promoting walking and cycling to school and theresults of surveys with more than 500 University Hill Elementary and Secondary students on their most popular walking and cycling routes and forms of transportation.
June 21, 2013