Terry LandsellBike to School Day is just around the corner on May 8th. Are you in, North Carolina?

Across North Carolina there are so many great Safe Routes to School programs in place at hundreds of schools. You can visit most any of those schools now and see bikes being parked at bike racks and parents leading kids in their walk to and from school. 

That is why I know more North Carolina schools will appreciate signing up early to participate in National Walk Bike to School day on May 8th.  In my travels and conversations with many of you across the state, I know that you are setting great examples and walking and bicycling to school every day. 

Let’s move this year and register your efforts!

As the home state of the National Center for Safe Routes to School we should lead by example and make sure that we share our stories of participation in the Bike to School events on May 8th.  It is easy to be counted in the national celebration by going to the National Center’s Walk Bike to School website and registering. Parents, teachers, administrators can be the leads on this and can gain access to valuable goodies to give to your kids, chances to win prizes, access to mapping tools and to learn how to sustain walking and bicycling throughout the year with a whole host of planning and outreach tools.

New this year, in addition to being part of National Bike Month, Bike to School Day is part of an international movement called Global Youth Traffic Safety Month. The goal of this effort is to engage and empower youth across the globe to develop and implement youth peer to peer education projects, support increased enforcement of traffic laws and advocate for stronger laws to protect young people on the roads.

Let’s break our participation records of years past and take the lead showing the nation how North Carolina walks and rolls to school on May 8th!

For those who need even more resources to create or expand your programs or policies please visit the Safe Routes Partnership’s National Learning Network Library to browse webinars and the wealth of information on how to create Safe Routes to School throughout the year.