Safe Routes to Schools

Happy Walk To School Day! Share Your Stories

It's Walktober, and today is International Walk to School Day! The L.A. City Department of Transportation (LADOT) set up a helpful Los Angeles Walk to School Day website with supportive tips, a map of participating schools, and other great stuff. 85 schools are participating in this second annual citywide Walk to School Day LA with 66 of them participating today.

By Joe Linton

3:32 PM PDT on October 8, 2014

Today, Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell walks — Today, Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell celebrated Walk to School Day with the students of Ramona Elementary School in East Hollywood. Photo via O’Farrell Facebook page

It’s Walktober, and today is International Walk to School Day! The L.A. City Department of Transportation (LADOT) set up a helpful Los Angeles Walk to School Day website with supportive tips, a map of participating schools, and other great stuff. 85 schools are participating in this second annual citywide Walk to School Day LA with 66 of them participating today.

In 2013, over three-fifths (61%) of the organizers indicated that they thought their students got more physical activity on the day of their Walk to School Day event than on a typical day. Over three quarters (77%) indicated that difficult intersection crossings or heavy traffic traveling at high speeds make children feel unsafe walking to school. Nearly half or participants (44%) reported a lack of traffic safety skills as a reason that children feel unsafe.

How was your family’s walk to school today? If you did or didn’t walk, tell us about why or why not? Share photos, links, etc. via the comments below.