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10/08/2008: "Safe Routes"

Friday Harbor Safe Routes Committee begins the Walking School Bus on October 8th

The program is staffed by volunteers and is not intended to replace the district’s transportation program. Why is a Safe Routes program needed?.

A generation ago, a majority of US children walked or biked to school. Today, most children are driven to school. Only 1 out of every 8 children gets to school on their own two feet.

This quiet shift of norms is taking a tremendous toll on our communities.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions due in part to
increasingly inactive lifestyles.

An estimated 25% of morning traffic is parents driving their children to
school.

More cars on the street make neighborhoods seem less safe,
discouraging walking and biking.

Overcrowded school drop-off and pick-up areas bring pollution and
traffic danger to the doorsteps of our schools.

A Safe Routes to School program in Friday Harbor can fight these trends by:

bringing people together in a joyful activity.

supporting the habit of moderate daily exercise.

addressing safety concerns with structural improvements and community building.

providing an open invitation for people to be deliberate about their transportation choices.

organizing diverse community members around a unifying issue: neighborhood safety.

Implementing a Walking School Bus (early Fall 2008) with selected routes and pick-up/drop-off times.

Assess routes and staff key intersections to improve pedestrian safety.

Expand routes to include more pedestrians and bicyclists (Spring 2009 �" sooner as demand and volunteers permit). Want to help? Please call 360.317.5377 to find out how!