Jennifer Wessel, JD, MPH Senior Policy Analyst and Data Privacy Officer 501-526-2244 JBWessel@achi.net

As a new school year approaches, this is a good time to review some principles of pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Walking or biking to school is fun, encourages physical activity, and helps form healthy habits that could last a lifetime. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adolescents get one hour or more of physical activity daily; walking or bicycling to school could help many students meet this recommendation. However, according to the National Household Travel Survey, only 10% of children ages 5–17 walk or bike to school in the United States.

Arkansas communities are working in various ways to encourage young people to be active. Communities can apply to the Arkansas Safe Routes to School Program for grants to make walking and biking to school safer. BikeNWA is partnering with All Kids Bike to teach elementary students to ride a bike. College students in the state are also benefiting from expanded pedestrian and biking access on campuses. For example, the Fayetteville Traverse trail is a shared-use trail that connects the University of Arkansas campus with parks and trails throughout Fayetteville. Arkansas State University encourages students to use the Pedestrian and Cyclist Paths system, which includes almost 10 miles of marked bicycle accommodations.

It is everyone’s responsibility to keep students safe while they are actively commuting to school. Here are some tips to consider:

1401 West Capitol Suite 300 (Victory Building) Little Rock, AR 72201