Active Transportation and Parents

Jessica Kwik -

I hope you will pass along to me what information you get on your "search"! Here in Arlington, Massachusetts we have a very active biking contingent, but an adamant and vocal parent contingent which will not support biking to school; teachers and police tend to side with the parents, citing safety issues, mostly. Anxious to hear and try new approaches toadvocate for bicycling and walking to school. Hope to hear from you.

Joey Glushko

Planning and Comm. Devel.
Arlington, MA 02476
Phone: 781-316-3093

Hi Jessica:

Check out Bike Smarts. We've written a case study at http://www.toolsofchange.com/English/CaseStudies/default.asp?ID=3

Cheers,
Jay

Jay Kassirer Executive Director,
Tools of Change Educational Institute President,
Cullbridge Marketing and Communications
61 Forest Hill Avenue, Ottawa ON, Canada K2C 1P7
Tel: (613) 224-3800,
e-mail: [email protected]
Website: cullbridge.com

Hello Jessica,

There are a couple of initiatives you might want to check out. The Way To Go program http://www.waytogo.icbc.bc.ca/ The Walking School Bus: http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/ The walking school bus has been used to particularly good effect around here. The program can be organized by the school and different parents can commit to a time and a day and route based on their availability. Parents share a large wagon and usually some safety equipment (safety vests and some sort of ID tag for the parent leader). Students have to dress for the weather, but occasionally there are extra umbrella's available.

I hope that helps.
-- Darla Simpson

Executive Director,
Pacific Resource Conservation Society
Program Coordinator, Destination Conservation BC
148 East Second Street, North Vancouver, BC, V7L 1C3
tel: 604.990.0165
fax: 604.990.0166
email: [email protected]
web: www.dcplanet.ca

Take a look at the work of an organization called Feet First: www.feetfirst.info They work with schools to develop and implement programs that involve teachers, students and parents.

Walking school buses are promoting their zero emissions status during an Auckland Regional Council campaign to clear Auckland's air pollution. The Auckland region now has 148 walking school buses that run on human energy alone and are part of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority's (ARTA) region-wide school travel plan programme. Fourteen schools, with 27 walking school buses, have joined the ARC's air quality campaign. Walking school buses are 'driven' by a parent volunteer up the front, and a 'conductor' at the rear. Drivers and conductors supporting the ARC's campaign wear high-visibility vests with the slogan 'OUR WALKING SCHOOL BUS CLEARS THE AIR'. Over the next few weeks some schools will be accompanied by ARTA mascot MAXX the Pukeko, who will also be sporting a special campaign vest. Try the website arc.govt.org for more details.

Carol Young

Secondary Facilitator in Science and Environmental Education
TEAM Solutions Faculty of Education
University of Auckland
ph 0275 790151
www.teamsolutions.ac.nz

Jay:

Thanks for your great work up there in Canada, especially for the Tools of Change. We look north for the compass star.

George F. Hoguet
Director, Mid-Atlantic Operations NativeEnergy, LLC
21-31 W. State Street, Unit 29B Media, PA 19063
(610)566-1332
www.nativeenergy.com

Check out our website below for curriculum and program ideas for promoting active transportation to and from school.

Melanie Grubman

Safe Routes to Schools Education Coordinator
(415) 456-3469 ext. 5#
Fax: (415)456-9344
www.saferoutestoschools.org
P.O. Box 1115 Fairfax, CA 94978

I am reaching you from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I am part of a sustainability initiative here known as Roadmap 2020 - striving to make Saskatoon a green city. As part of an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable and health-promoting behaviours, we are looking to develop a walking school bus as a pilot at one of our primary schools. It would be most appreciated if anyone could share your thoughts with us on how the process worked - what were your challenges, how did you overcome them - and how the program is now sustaining itself - is it school lead, parent lead, both?

Many thanks,
Sincerely,
from the mind and heart of Mr. Kelly G. Goyer
B.A. (Honours) Psychology