4 Ways to Get Rolling for Bike to School Day

erin potter bikearlington
Erin Potter Tweet Us @BikeArlington@BikeArlington May 3, 2018
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Erin Potter is the former Program Manager for BikeArlington.

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BIKE TAKEAWAY:

National Bike and Walk to School Day is Wednesday, May 9! Join thousands of students across the country and take your trip to school by bike, scooter, your own two feet, or other wheels.

National Bike & Walk to School Day, Wednesday, May 9, is a celebration encouraging students to bike or walk to school and promotes the health benefits of active transportation.

Create a New & Healthy Routine

Walking one mile or biking two miles to and from school each day knocks out half of the physical activity you and your kiddos need for the day while reducing stress and helping your child get ready to learn.

1. Find your route

Arlington has a ton of neighborhood streets that are great for biking, walking, and rolling. Consult BikeArlington’s Comfort Level Map (focusing on the green and blue routes) and check out the route planning resources from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

2. Hop on a bike train

Biking and walking are always more fun with friends, so see if any of your neighbors would be willing to join you and your family on the route to school. Planning a bike train is super easy, so use the Bike Train Toolkit  for tried and true methods and templates to get started.

3. Consider remote drop-off

One to two mile trips are manageable for kids of most ages. However, if the complete walk or ride feels too far, you can find a nearby meeting location, like a park or library, and have students ride from that location. Some schools in Arlington have even had school buses drop kids remotely and teachers help guide them into the school.

4. Do it again next week

The hardest part of any new routine is getting started. If you’ve done it once, you can do it again. And the more you do it, the more the wrinkles get smoothed out and the new morning routine is established. You can help your school establish a weekly “Wheels and Walking Wednesdays” or “Two-Wheeled Tuesdays” event, like Discovery Elementary and Patrick Henry Elementary have organized.

Join the fun by walking and rolling to school. all Arlington Public Schools are registered and participating. Share your photos with BikeArlington on Twitter with #APSBike2SchoolDay.

Arlington Safe Routes to School Program

Arlington County has a local Safe Routes to School program! Staff works to promote active, healthy lifestyles and safe infrastructure that supports bicycling and walking. In addition to hosting National Bike and Walk to School Day, they offer bike education to second graders, celebrate crossing guards, collect and track student travel data over time, evaluate arrival/dismissal procedures, and work to make walking and biking better near Arlington schools. Read More

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