The Good Old Days: Walking to School

I know… I know! Those of us who have reached a certain age are often known to carry on about "the good old days." But sometimes they really were.

Consider these statistics from a national survey conducted in 2009 by the Department of Transport. In 1969 (widely considered to be solidly in "the good old days"), 48% of kids aged 5 to 14 walked or rode a bike to school. Another 38% took the school bus, and only 12% were driven.

Fast-forward 40 years, and school bus ridership remains fairly constant at 40%. But the proportion dropped off by mom or dad has soared almost fourfold to 44%. Walkers and riders? Nationally, only 13% of kids in this age group arrive at school on foot or by bike.

Here in Woodstock, our local experience seems to track those national data. A recent survey at the Woodstock Elementary School indicates that of the 190 students enrolled in grades K through 6, 70% are dropped off by car each morning, 22% arrive by bus, 6% walk, and just 1% ride a bike to school.

Of course, there are good and legitimate reasons for this trend, not least being the substantial increase in automobile traffic outstripping improvements in infrastructure ensuring pedestrian and bicycle safety. Predictably, the result has been to put even more cars are on the road (nationwide 26% of morning traffic is school related), and a vicious cycle is born. Meanwhile, kids are missing out on the healthy exercise and the sense of independence that an earlier generation experienced by walking or biking to school.

With the objective of reversing this unhealthy trend, in 2005 the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership was launched, and two years ago a local SRTS initiative was started by the Woodstock Elementary School and supported by the Ottauquechee Community Partnership, Sustainable Woodstock, Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission, and the Town of Woodstock Police.

Safe Routes to School is a comprehensive model built on multiple elements such as education, encouragement, enforcement, and engineering. Over the past two years, the local initiative has focused primarily on the education component through activities such as the Walking School Bus and the PTO Bike Rodeo. But this year the Woodstock Elementary SRTS Team plans to extend its effort to include other elements of the model.

"Our plan calls for continuing our education activities and adding a safe biking unit to our Physical Education curriculum," said Karen White, Principal of WES and member of the SRST Team. "But we also plan to include new elements to calm traffic in the village. Parents have reported that improved safety in this area will increase their willingness to allow their children to walk to school."

With the support and involvement of parents, teachers, town officials, and a cross-section of community stakeholders, the Team aims to have 20% of WES students walking or biking to the elementary school at least two days a week. Even an old-timer would have to admit, that sounds like good progress in returning to the good old days.

by Christopher Bartlett