Obstacles to walking
Back in the 1960s about 48% of students walked or rode bikes to school, now the number is closer to 15%. Why? Well, in Lowell we have school choice, so that within a zone there are probably a certain number of students who live too far from their chosen school to walk. However, I drove my child back and forth to middle school and we live less than 2 miles away. I know many parents who do the same, many of whom live even closer to the school than I do. Lack of sidewalks and crossing guards, and sidewalks that are covered with snow and ice in the winter make walking a risky business for young children. Part of the thinking behind the Safe Routes to School initiative and the Lincoln School’s Walking Wednesday program is to highlight some of these obstacles. On Wednesday’s walk, we ran into a prime example of one of the difficulties that walkers face.
Van on sidewalk squeezes students:
