Arlington Public Schools will join schools from around the country to celebrate National Bike and Walk to School Day 2017 on Wed, May 10.
APS encourages all students to participate by biking and walking to school. Each school will celebrate Bike and Walk to School Day in its own way, from bike trains to give-aways to school-wide assemblies. Many APS students already bike and walk every day, so schools will be recognizing those year-round efforts while encouraging more students to give walking and biking a try.
This year marks the sixth annual national Bike and Walk to School Day celebration. APS has taken part in the event since its inception in 2012, with all schools participating in some way each year.
By encouraging a nationwide bike-focused celebration for students every year in the month of May, Bike and Walk to School Day builds on the popularity and success of Walk and Bike to School Day, which is celebrated across the country – and around the world – each October.
Bike and Walk to School events work to create safer routes for bicycling and walking, and emphasize the importance of a range of impacts such as physical activity among children, cyclist and pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and connections between families, schools and the community.
Participation is being organized by Arlington Public Schools and APS Safe Routes to School, with support from Arlington County, BikeArlington, WalkArlington, and Arlington Transportation Partners.
For more information, visit:
National Bike/Walk to School Day
National Center for Safe Routes to School
About National Bike and Walk to School Day
National Bike and Walk to School Day, coordinated by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, provides an opportunity for communities across the country to join together to bicycle to school on the same day. The event builds on the excitement surrounding National Bike Month, led by the League of American Bicyclists each May, as well as the popularity of Walk and Bike to School Day, coordinated by the National Center for Safe Routes to School every October.National Bike and Walk to School Day is based on the Walk to School Day model. Walk and Bike to School Day was founded in 1997 as a way to bring community leaders and children together to build awareness for communities to be more walkable. The one-day event has now grown to a month-long celebration with students and parents from more than 4,000 U.S. schools joining millions of Walk and Bike to School Day and Month participants worldwide. The reasons for walking have grown just as quickly as the event itself. For more information on bike and walk to school activities in the United States, visit www.walkbiketoschool.org.
About the National Center for Safe Routes to School
Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists states and communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center serves as the information clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Part of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, the National Center also provides technical support and resources and coordinates online registration efforts for U.S. Walk to School Day and facilitates worldwide promotion and participation. For more information, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.
