Along with five schools and 500 kids, OCTA, in partnership with the Orange County Health Care Agency, recently celebrated a tried-and-true transportation method for getting to school: Walking.
International Walk to School Day, held every year in October, is an energizing event serving to remind adults and students alike of the simple joy of walking or bicycling to school. For many communities, the event leads to more walking and bicycling all year long. It also builds support for creating or improving safer walking and bicycling routes.
Local officers from Santa Ana, La Habra, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol were on hand to support and encourage students and parents.
Participating schools included:
- Benson Elementary School, Tustin
- Diamond Elementary School, Santa Ana
- Las Positas Elementary School, La Habra
- Rossmoor Elementary School, Rossmoor
- San Juan Elementary School, San Juan Capistrano
At each school, OCTA provided an OC Active booth to share information about Orange County’s bike and pedestrian plan, a project that aims to recognize the areas and opportunities of improvement for active transportation countywide.
Prior to the event, OCTA encouraged participation by sending schools an event flyer and a social media toolkit with copy-ready text and links that could be easily shared via social media and website posts and email blasts. Local school champions such as parents, faculty, or the school Principal promoted the event further.
International Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. The events build connections among families, schools and the broader community.
Learn more about OC Active here.