Walk-to-School will not be big in prizes like last year, but it's not
supposed to be about prizes but about raising awareness of alternative
ways to get to school, and not just this week but every day of the year.
I'm afraid many people think biking is not safe, and there have been
horrible crashes, but more driving and bigger cars creates a
vicious circle, like an ever-escalating arms race that leads not to
more safety but only to more dangerous situations, congestion,
pollution, and also to obesity.
I do hope that those of you
who are presently driving your students to school every day
will give serious thought to
alternative ways to get to school. A
most important step in safer
routes to school is reducing the number of cars.
Please read the following thoughts shared by parents who usually bike
or walk to school.
The best thing about cycling to school is that we don't get stuck in traffic. - Malcolm (a student)
My son (4th grade) and I enjoy cycling to school together. He gets to see some of his friends along the way, and some of the older children cyling in the neighborhood going to Terman or Gunn. It is helpful for me to be able watch him on his bike and encourage his developing good safety habits. We leave home about the same time in the morning as we did when carpooling. I wish my work schedule permitted us to cycle every day! - Brendan
My reason for biking, in short: it is a matter of efficiency. I got
frustrated about how long it would take me to get out of Hoover after
I dropped my daughter (3rd grade). I did not like the rush of
adrenaline wondering if there was going to be a long line or not, and
worrying about the drop-off.
Biking is a no-brainer, I control exactly how long it takes me to get to
Hoover. The exercise is good for my daughter. I get some fresh air, and last
but not least, I am not polluting. - Dulce
We like to walk to school. The air is fresh and the whole
day is waiting for us. It is a time for exercise and saving the
environment. It is family time to talk about homework or
books we are reading or all those other things families talk about.
The kids are refreshed and ready to learn after walking the 25 minutes
each day to school. Often we see other kids we know sitting in the long
line of cars waiting for the lights, waiting for the train.
Some days we too run late and hop in the car. But we tend to drive
half-way then and walk the rest.
So if you see us walking down Charleston in the morning, pull your car
over and walk with us. - Peter and Lisa
We started biking to and from school last April because my son (now in
5th grade) wanted to be more independent as far as moving around the
neighborhood. Kids his age and older were able to visit friends, get
an ice cream at Rick's or shop at Piazza's market, go to the library,
and so on -- all by bicycle. I wanted to accompany him to Hoover
because I don't like the way cars move during the rush hours on
Charleston and the "turnaround" streets of Carlson and Nelson, as well
as in the Hoover driveway itself. I wanted to make sure he got safely
to and from school.
To my great surprise, I found, after the very first day, that I enjoyed the
biking as much as my son, although for different reasons. I feel energized
for the day after a brisk ride in the morning. I have been trying to find
ways to squeeze a little exercise into my routine (a much-needed thing but
hard to do in my busy life!) and bicycle-commuting is a great way to
accomplish this. The bonus benefit is that I avoid the stress and
unpleasantness of the drop-off driveway.
Of course, my son simply loves the ride and we have a good time together, rain
or shine. Our only dilemma now is figuring out how to carry his musical
instrument by bike on Mondays and Thursdays: he selected the trombone
(doesn't fit in the basket!). Until we devise a means to carry the
trombone, we are walking part-way -- anything to avoid the driveway and get
that exercise! - Christine
Why Bicycle to school?
When was the last time you watched to see what color a leaf would turn?
When did you last hear the crunch of leaves under your feet?
Have you seen icy puddle lakes, splashing water at the edge when tapped?
Have you often wondered at the lacy beauty of ice on a windshield?
Which yard will show the first brilliant blossoms and promise of spring?
Walk or bike to school and you will not miss the changing of the seasons.
That is why I walk or bike to school. My son (now in 5th grade) first went to (the old) Hoover in a stroller. We were close enough to walk every day, unless it thundered. We stomped leaves and wondered at ice crystals, and enjoyed the rhythm of rain upon our umbrellas. When Hoover moved we began to bicycle. We still experience the changing of the seasons, we can still stop and greet the first frost of winter. Riding in the van is boring to my son. He likes his exercise and a race home against mom! Enjoy the surge of power during acceleration with the wind roaring in your ears. When it rains we do drive, it's not safe to ride in the rain, but we park at Mitchell Park and walk across under our umbrellas. We still can hear the rhythm of rain.
Why bicycle? There are all the other good reasons too. It uses less gas which helps the environment and saves us money. I can stay out of the school traffic headache. No more having to go early to hunt for a parking spot. It really is quicker to bicycle! I also enjoy a special time to reconnect after the day. Do you ask your child, "How did school go today?", and have the time to listen without driving distractions? But for my family the main reason to bicycle is for the exercise and to enjoy each day of a season.- Marianne
Biking to School
I bike to school with my daughter (3rd grade). We have always biked but
until this year I towed her in a carriage behind me. One of our aims
for the summer was to have her bike well enough that she could bike
to school. It provides daily exercise for her, gets her in the fresh
air and gives her responsibility, which is preparing her for that day
when she is 22 and I let her leave the house unescorted.
From my perspective I am happy not to be part of the gridlock at the
school, where some drivers are so anxious they block the crossing lane
to be a few inches closer to their destination. I would appreciate
drivers giving cyclists more consideration. By not using my car I am
making the car drivers' journey easier. It does not help me or my
daughter when drivers park illegally and block the exit from the
park. It can be quite alarming, when exiting from the park, to see a
car driving towards you on to the hatched area.
I urge others to stop their daily air and noise pollution and find some
other way to school. Even a child on a bike can cover 1.5 miles in about 10
minutes, which is not much more than the time drivers spend getting in and out
of Hoover. Those further afield can get a bike rack and cover the last
part of their journey by bike. - Walter
ps: I also bike to work.
In our five years at Hoover we've not come to school by car more than
fifteen times, even counting the first months when it was a 30-minute
ride. And when we drove up, we usually walked from Mitchell park.
I shudder to think that I would have to sit there every day in a
stuffy car spewing exhaust, stuck in a slow-moving line, having to
deal with the traffic safety coordinator etc. Instead, my son and my
wife or I get some exercise and enjoy the fresh air in the morning,
and in the afternoon we have a pleasant debriefing walking home. -
Marco