School-Based Programs

Pedestrian Master Plan > Toolbox > Encouragement > Walking Programs

Walking school bus programs encourage children to walk to school by grouping students with one or more adults for the daily walk to school. Easily organized by a few parents, a walking bus can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as structured as a planned route featuring meeting points, a timetable, and trained volunteers.

National and local safe routes to school programs seek to reduce pollution, traffic, and childhood obesity by creating safer pedestrian and bicycling routes to schools and initiating programs encouraging children to utilize those routes. Walking school bus programs sometimes constitute part of a safe routes to school program.

While elementary and high school student-encouragement programs receive more publicity, many colleges and universities have initiated programs encouraging staff and faculty to walk and bike to campus. Larger institutions also seek to increase intra-campus pedestrian trips.

School-Based Programs and Resources:
National Center for Safe Routes to School
Seattle Safe Routes to School
Feet First Safe Routes to School and walking bus information
Seattle Public School walking maps for all K-5 city schools
University of Washington’s walking campaign