WALKING SCHOOL BUS
Did you know that in 1969 half of all children walked or biked to school?
Today fewer than 15% walk or bike to school and over half arrive by private automobile. As much as 20-30% of morning traffic can generated by parents driving their children to school. During this time period the number of overweight children increased by 65%.
What is a Walking School Bus?
Actually, there is no bus at all. Parents walking children to and from school become the walking school bus.
It can be as simple as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as formal as a structured route with a timetable, designated stops and assigned adult volunteers.
The organization of each walking school bus is really up to the participants of each bus. What’s important is to simply start moving and help our children discover that their journey to school can start with their own feet.
For additional video resources, click here.
Get Information
For more information on developing a walking school bus program at your school please contact the Greater Mercer TMA office at 609-452-1491 or E-mail us at tma@gmtma.org.
Why set up a Walking School Bus
For the children:
- It’s fun and social
- Contributes to good health and fitness
- Learn pedestrian safety
- Learn more about their neighborhood
- Promotes independence
- Arrive at school alert and ready to learn
For the parents:
- It’s fun and social
- Contributes to good health and fitness
- It’s economical
- “Time-Off” for parents sharing the walking duties
For the community:
- Less traffic around school and in neighborhoods
- Car exhaust is reduced
- Creates a sense of community
- Crimes are less likely to happen when people are outside
How to set up a Walking School Bus
Start your day by fueling it with enthusiastic parent volunteers and the follow these steps:
- Find some neighbors to walk together.
- Decide on a safe walking route and be sure that it is tested by adults.
- Decide as a group how often the walking school bus will walk together and determine a schedule for the adult “drivers of the bus.”
- Adult “drivers” pick up children at designated stops or at their home along the route. Reverse the procedure on the way home.
- Enjoy the walk!
The New Jersey Walking School Bus app makes it a snap to set up a Walking School Bus in your neighborhood! Just search for the New Jersey Walking School Bus App in the app store and download. It’s available for Android and IOS.
The app allows parents to easily create and plan walks to and from school. Parents can search by elementary school for existing walking groups, create walking groups and invite neighbors to join, plan walks to and from school, assign parent leaders to walk with students, group text within the app, and alert parents when students have arrived safely at school!
Click here for FAQs on the Walking School Bus app.
Download the App
