Winter walks

With the New Year come new goals and getting more students to walk or bike to school is one of ours. Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” She was right; the small number of committed parents and students that showed up at our Santa Clara Safe Routes to School events in December doubled in size for January. Our Walking School Buses went from having a handful of students to families flooding the sidewalks. These small steps towards creating a better walking and biking environment in and around schools is making an impact, one step at a time.

Haman, Montague, Briarwood, Scott Lane, and Sutter Elementary Schools now have monthly Walk and Bike to School Days with designated meeting spots for larger walking groups to form. With principals getting involved and walking with the students to school, the numbers continue to grow and decrease the amount of traffic and congestion around the area. A Sutter parent even stated, “One parent in particular, who walks every day, was amazed at how many more kids she saw out walking.” Let these parents and students be an inspiration to you during these cold months to rethink how you are getting to work, the grocery store, or going out to lunch. We hope to see the numbers rise with the temperatures and until then a scarf and beanie will get us through the winter months!