Barriers to and benefits of walking to school
EDITOR’S NOTE: International Walk to School Day on Oct. 4 brings focus to the benefits — and the cautions — of walking to school for students. But it’s mostly a city thing only in largely rural Randolph County. What are some of the benefits of walking to school, where is it done most and what could lead to more walkers? Let’s take a look.
ASHEBORO — Walking to school can provide students two opportunities for exercise each day. However, with walking comes safety concerns related to traffic, weather and the surrounding environment.
Locally, Asheboro City Schools (ACS) and Randolph County School System (RCSS) each employ different policies when it comes to students walking to school.
International Walk to School Day will be celebrated by both ACS and RCSS on Wednesday, Oct. 4, to bring awareness to both the health benefits and safety issues associated with walking to school.
Awareness
The Partnership for a Walkable America established Walk to School Day in the U.S. in 1997. In 2000, Canada and Great Britain, both of which already had walk-to-school programs in place, joined U.S. efforts to create International Walk to School Day.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School was established in May 2006 to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school. It now serves as the national coordinating agency for walk-to-school and bike-to-school activities in the U.S.
Locally, Randolph County Public Health heads up coordination of International Walk to School Day activities.
Donna Lee Loflin and Randleman elementary schools have participated in the event since 2009. Both will participate again on Wednesday.
“These two schools were chosen because they have walkability access to and from school,” said Wendy Kennon, the health department’s health education supervisor/safe kids coordinator. “Most other schools do not and it is not safe to hold such an event with them.”
The events begin at 7 a.m. with students, families, teachers and community leaders from the police and fire departments walking together from an assigned location to their school, arriving at approximately 7:30 a.m.
In addition to raising awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling, and emphasizing the importance of increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment, ACS Public Information Officer Leigh Anna Marbert said, “The events build connections between families, schools and the broader community.”
Policies
Under N.C. General Statute 115C-246, students are eligible for school bus transportation if they live 1.5 miles or more from the school. Within the no-transport zones around schools, students have the option to arrive by car, bike, public bus, walking or other means.
“Also there’s a provision that says nothing actually compels the state, county or city to provide funds for transportation of any pupils, or any duty to cover any kids within the corporate limits of a town/city even if you do cover the cost of kids outside the corporate limits,” N.C. Department of Public Instruction Transportation Services Section Chief Kevin Harrison said.
Additionally, in practice, if that 1.5-mile no-transport zone is unsafe, some local educational agencies (LEAs) will pick up within that area. Also, in practice, every LEA in North Carolina provides transportation in general, even though they are not required to by legislation.
RCSS serves predominantly rural areas and a majority of its schools are not within city limits. For those reasons, RCSS does not have established no-transport zones. RCSS extends transportation services to all students, regardless of proximity to their assigned school.
ACS operates within a municipality. According to its policy 6322, “Any student assigned to a school which is one and a half miles or more from his or her residence is eligible for transportation services to and from school.”
However, ACS also accepts applications for transportation requests in the following situations:
* When factors are present which may endanger the safety of students walking to school.
* When a student is medically certified as temporarily incapacitated.
* A student who is identified as having special needs following procedures in the N.C. Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Children with Special Needs will be provided with transportation services as required by law.
*A student who has voluntarily requested a transfer from the assigned school may apply, but is not guaranteed transportation services.
Applications requesting transportation must be submitted to the principal of the child’s assigned school or other designated official. The application will then be forwarded to the superintendent’s office for consideration and approval or denial.
Statistics
ACS has 2,202 students who ride the bus to school. While ACS tracks students who ride the school bus, it doesn’t track the number of car riders or walkers.
“Therefore, approximately there are about 2,498 students within our district who either walk to school or are car riders,” Marbert said.
RCSS has fewer than 50 students walking to school daily. During the 2016-17 school year, the number of students RCSS transported daily by bus was approximately 7,800. During that same year, approximately 9,400 RCSS students were car riders.
Looking ahead
From the health department’s perspective, motivating families to walk to school — or anywhere, for that matter — is an important goal.
“We look at it from a healthy standpoint with increasing physical activity while potentially reducing overweight/obesity, as well as from a safety standpoint,” Kennon said. “(The event on Oct. 4) not only reminds families walking of the importance of pedestrian safety, but also those riding the roads.”
While the health department is working to include Archdale in future International Walk to School Day events, Kennon said it is just not feasible to hold such an event at other schools, especially within the county school system. The reason is lack of safe walking routes.
What could change that? For both ACS and RCSS, sidewalks could be a game-changer. Until sidewalks can be installed or upgraded, however, students in Randolph County will continue to rely heavily on school buses and family members to drive them to and from school.
http://www.courier-tribune.com/news/20170930/barriers-to-and-benefits-of-walking-to-school
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