October is International Walk to School Month, and staff members and students in Bound Brook celebrated by walking to school together on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
Students from various grade levels and schools gathered at the Codrington Park basketball courts to walk together as part of a ‘Walking School Bus’ - coordinated by the district in partnership with the Somerset County-based nonprofit RideWise, which promotes efficient and sustainable travel options.
At 1.6 square miles, the Borough of Bound Brook is an ideal place for students to walk and bike to school every day.
It is a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly way of traveling to school.
For the last seven years, the district has been promoting this behavior through ‘Walk to School Days’ and ‘Walking School Bus.’
These special days encourage community connections, raise awareness about the importance of safe routes for pedestrians, and highlight the benefits of regular daily activity.
The district has taken other steps to promote pedestrian safety and awareness, such as brightly painting and beautifying the intersection at Lafayette Elementary School through a partnership with Middle Earth, offering bike helmets to students who need them, and adding bike racks in front of the schools.
Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 and has since grown to include countries around the world as part of a month-long celebration.
In Somerset County, RideWise partners with schools to implement their own Safe Routes to School programs, including ‘Walk to School Days’ and ‘Walking School Buses.’
The Safe Routes to School program encourages students to be healthy, active and independent by regularly biking and walking to school.