By Jim Shanman, Culver City Safe Routes to School Coordinator

Welcome back everyone. This week begins another school year and like everyone, the Culver City Walk & Rollers are super excited! We are happy to see that more kids throughout the district are walking and biking to school than in years past and we are hoping to continue that trend.

Walking and biking to school helps our kids on so many levels, including adding activity to kids' days, reducing traffic and pollution around the school, building community awareness and providing opportunities to teach safe, responsible behavior.

This year we are working extra hard to make it easier to walk or bike to school regularly by increasing our education and encouragement, and continuing to work with CCPD to increase enforcement efforts so more families will feel more comfortable walking or biking to school more often.

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For parents, here are a few suggestions to make this our best, most active year yet

1. Remember, walking and biking to school does not necessarily mean door-to-door or even everyday. Truly, each day and every block not driven helps. So if you can't walk or bike from home each day, try driving less by simply parking a few blocks away and walking the rest. Parking on a nearby street or a local park for example are good places to start

2. Commit to one day a week where you park 5 blocks away and walk the rest. Consider this: If every family that drives to school would commit to this, on any given day, traffic around the school will be reduced by 20%

3. Form a carpool. It's a good bet you know a friend or two along your route. By ridesharing, you'll get a morning or two off and car trips to school are reduced and your kids will have more fun

4. Start a walking school bus. Once a week, meet at a common meet up site. Once you start, others are likely to join in!

For parents and residents driving in school zones, you can help too. Please be sure to obey all traffic laws, set aside distractions and park only in designated parking areas. Be sure not to speed, double park and only let your children off at a curb. Use caution backing out of driveways and watch for the little ones as they are harder to see and can be unpredictable.

And lastly, you can help at your school by volunteering on their Safe Routes to School Committee. For more information: http://www.ccwalkandroll.com/

Be sure to stop by our booth at Fiesta la Ballona for great information, school Safe Routes maps and a chance to win some fabulous prizes!

Jim Shanman

Culver City Safe Routes to School Coordinator

http://www.ccWalkAndRoll.com