Wednesday, May 1st was National Walk/Bike to School Day. The whole day was supported by members of Bike Marblehead and the Sustainable Marblehead’s Education Action Group. They encouraged members of the community to support their children in walking or riding their bike to school by joining them, cheering them on, or just sending them on their way. Bike Marblehead was also sure to mention that if possible, Marblehead citizens should avoid driving during school arrival hours to ensure that “the focus be on the bikes and pedestrians.” Since May is National Bike Month, National Walk/Bike to School days are happening across the nation throughout the entire month.
The benefits of walking and biking to school are endless. From the positive environmental effects to building character and independence, walking or biking to school or work will impact your life for the better. Getting to school by either walking or biking allows children to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily routine, building healthy habits from a young age. With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service recommending that children and adolescents get at least an hour of physical activity each day, how one gets to and from school can make the goal of an hour of activity easily attainable. Study upon study has only continued to prove that children who are active are more likely to also be physically active adults, as it becomes a habit that is built early on. In the busy lives of adults, physical activity can be difficult to build in with work and other commitments, but incorporating simple exercise into one’s commute kills two birds with one stone.
Aside from the health benefits are the environmental factors. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “collectively, cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all US emissions, emitting around 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases for every gallon of gas.” As most schools are within a two-mile radius for most Marblehead citizens, the time that it takes for one to get in the car and wait from light to light could be better spent walking or biking to school.
Also, not only does only the individual directly benefit from walking or biking, but the community does too. With more people out and about and fewer on the roads, less traffic congestion is sure to result, which, in turn, improves conditions of travel for both vehicles and pedestrians/bicyclists. As stated by Bike Marblehead, supporting people to bike and walk helps create unity and a “cycling culture” as the community supports “safe and accessible bicycling and walking” all across town. With this newfound support and unity comes safer routes and improved accessibility as people search to find ways to improve their current biking/walking systems to better benefit their community. There truly is not a single negative that can result from encouraging people to bike and walk more and replace their commute with a healthier and more environmentally conscious alternative. Thank you to all of those who participated in National Walk/Bike to School Day, and please do not allow it to simply become an annual event. Make the lifestyle change to positively impact your own life and the lives of your community.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask members of Bike Marblehead or go to the site: http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/learn-more/why-walkbike/.