MO Governor Blunt Encourages Communities to Help Children Walk to School

Gov. Matt Blunt today encouraged Missouri schools, parents, and communities to organize events and participate in International Walk to School Day, which is October 4. In this annual event, parents and caregivers are encouraged to walk with their children to school and model appropriate and safe pedestrian behavior.

“Walking to school can have many benefits for children,” Blunt said. “It gives our children much-needed physical activity, a time to enjoy the outdoors and time to visit with friends before the school day begins. I encourage communities across the state to raise awareness of the benefits of walking to school by participating in Walk to School Day.”

Photo by Oop, http://flickr.com/photos/oop/145649844/

Walk to School Day events are structured to emphasize safer routes for walking and bicycling, and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and broader community.

Blunt would like participants to remember these safety tips when walking:

• Use the pedestrian crosswalks or cross at an intersection if no crosswalk exists.
  
• Obey signs and signals. Traffic signals are for everyone using the road, not just drivers.
  
• Stop at the curb and look left-right-left before crossing. Walk, don’t run.
  
• Be alert. Don’t assume a vehicle is going to stop for you. The driver may not be paying attention or might not see you.
  
• Walk on sidewalks when possible. If you must walk in the street, walk single file, face traffic and stay as close to the edge of the road as you can.
  
• Don’t enter the roadway from between parked cars or from behind shrubs or bushes.

For more information on Walk to School Day in Missouri contact Todd Messenger with the Missouri Department of Transportation at (573) 751-3320 or visit these websites:


International Walk to School in the USA www.walktoschool.org
National Center for Safe Routes to School www.saferoutesinfo.org
International Walk to School www.iwalktoschool.org

MoBikeFed is distributing FREE materials developed by Columbia's PedNET that explain step by step how a student, parent, teacher, school administrator, or community leader can start "Walk/Bike to School Day" in your community.

International Walk/Bike to School Month is the entire month of October, so schools could pick any particular day in October to be their own local Walk/Bike to School Day.