Tomorrow, the streets around Fort Collins will see a surge of youngsters going to school under their own steam. National Walk & Roll to School Day is an annual event promoting health and communal connectivity. Kids from local schools in the area are encouraged to ditch the school buses and family SUVs for a more active commute.
The hustle isn’t just local, the feet hitting the pavement will echo in unison with those from over 40 countries as part of a movement that, while global, finds intimate meaning through the participation of about 20 Poudre School District schools, according to the City of Fort Collins. The City's Safe Routes to School program is spearheading these efforts, watching recent years' stats climb just like the kids climb the hills to their educational havens, and they don’t plan on stopping the stride anytime soon.
One shining beacon, Shepardson Elementary, has tripped its active transit rates to thrice what they were half a decade ago, these kids are, as the City of Fort Collins Safe Routes to School Program Manager Nancy Nichols said, as obtained by the City of Fort Collins, “Three times as many Shepardson students walk and bike to school now compared to five years ago, and the school has surpassed our citywide goal of having over 50% of students regularly walk or bike to school.”
But walking and biking come with a need for mindfulness, kids are advised to stick with friends, plant their feet firmly on the crosswalks, and stay on tried and tested safe paths because there's safety in numbers, and there’s certainly safety in following the rules. For those behind the wheel, it's a day to be extra vigilant and to move through school zones and neighborhood streets with care, lives are precious, and when it comes to the vitality of our youngest generation, no amount of caution is too much.
