TransForm, working in partnership with the Alameda CTC Safe Routes to School program, helped Alameda County have a wildly successful International Walk and Roll to School Day on October 4, 2023. With participation from 155 schools, thousands of kids walked, scooted, biked, carpooled, and took public transit to school, and many TransForm staff showed up to volunteer and share the joy, along with parents, administrators, and local government officials.
Walk and roll by the numbers
We’ve gotten data from 96 of the participating schools so far and can report that at least 19,000 students used green transportation options to get to school on International Walk and Roll to School Day. More than 10,500 schoolkids walked, over 4,600 rolled, more than 2,750 carpooled, and almost 900 took transit.
The opportunity to experience a different way to get around their neighborhoods is vital to forming habits that young people will take with them for a lifetime. International Walk & Roll to School Day gives students an opportunity to experience the joy and autonomy of active transportation.
More fun events coming up
Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools' next big event is the Golden Sneaker Contest, a classroom-based contest happening March 4th to March 15th, 2024, that challenges students, parents, teachers, and community members to use active and shared transportation. The two-week-long event encourages classrooms to work together to achieve the highest rate of sustainable transportation usage during the contest period to be their school’s Golden Sneaker winner!
While elementary and middle school students are striving to win the Golden Sneaker, high schoolers across the county will participate in Reboot Your Commute. Student representatives from the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools Youth Task Force will organize on campus events to encourage peers to use active and shared transportation, and share why these modes are so important to them. This exciting event not only helps build the leadership, communication and organizational skills for student organizers, but also encourages the entire school community to consider why they should make positive transportation choices.
And TransForm and Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools will participate in another active transportation celebration as part of Bike Month in May: Bike to School Day. Growing the next generation of active transportation lovers is a joyous way to build our movement.