Living Streets Alliance is starting its third year of Safe Routes to School Tucson. The program promotes safely walking and biking to school.
There are six pilot schools participating in the program:
This map shows the 6 pilot schools participating in the Safe Routes to School program #BackToSchool #safety @kgun9 pic.twitter.com/43UXhqrQn5
— Priscilla KGUN9 (@PriscillaCasper) July 21, 2016
One way the program creates a safe way for kids to get to school is with a 'walking bus.'
"A walking bus is a group of children with adults that is lead by a designated route to school and they have designated pick up points so there is actually no bus involved," said Vanessa Cascio, a lead organizer at Safe Routes to School.
Another method the program is gearing up is a 'biking train.'
"A teacher leading a bicycle train so the teacher goes and picks them up and actually bikes them to school," explained Cascio. "The kids love it."
The program received a $5,000 grant from Federal Transportation. This money goes towards bike maintenance classes and a free mobile bike repair.
Cascio said that she has noticed more teachers wanting their schools to participate in this program because they have noticed kids are more alert in the classroom and more likely to pay attention.
For more information about the program and how your school can get involved got to their website.
