It is the first day of school, and many kids are having fun getting there on a “walking school bus”. One of the first places the walking school bus started was in Brisbane, Australia. The goal was to get kids walking, expand their options for how to get around, create community, and reduce driving in neighborhoods and around schools. Parents beware: experience has shown the kids often like the walking school bus so much, they protest you ever driving them again.
A Walking School Bus can be created informally between neighbors and friends. Or it can be a more official school organized project. Ideas on how to start your own can be found on this website. SDOT helps support walking school buses with our Safe Routes to School program. For example; we recently installed a new flashing beacon and crosswalk near Blaine Elementary that will be used by an active walking school bus. We have also given grants to walking school bus groups for incentives and pedestrian flags. Do you have a walking school bus in your neighborhood? What has your experience been?
