International Walk and Roll to School Day Rolls Through Alameda County
International Walk and Roll to School Day (IWR2SD) takes a large number of cars off the road every October, reducing congestion and making the trip to school easier, safer, and more pleasant. On October 8, 2025, we saw mode shift in action, with more students walking than driving. It was a great start to a year of active and shared transportation activities for Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools.
This year, Transform took an extra step and invited California state assemblymembers and senators to join the fun. A big thanks to Assemblymember Liz Ortega, who attended IWR2SD at Proctor Elementary in Castro Valley, and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who joined the fun at Emerson Elementary in Berkeley.
“This was my first year planning International Walk and Roll to School Day, and something that really stood out to me, especially a couple of weeks after the event, was how easy it is to get caught up in the numbers. I found myself focused on how many schools had registered, how much data we collected, or even how many pencils to send to each site,” said Emilio Elenes, a program coordinator for Transform.
“But one day, while sitting in the back of a Lyft on my way to present about a walking school bus, I took a moment to reflect on how much community effort goes into hosting an event at a school,” Elenes continued. “For example, my school in San Lorenzo hadn’t hosted IWR2SD in a few years, and even though the event was small and simple, it made a huge difference in the students’ morning. Moments like that make all of this worth planning for.
“As a program coordinator, I feel lucky to experience these full-circle moments often, and that’s what makes Transform so special.”
A total of 87 of the Alameda County schools that participated in IWR2SD reported their data.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Walkers: 9,699
- Rollers: 3,411
- Carpoolers: 2,620
- Bus/Transit Riders: 1,030
- Solo Riders: 6,946
That’s 16,760 students walking, rolling, and carpooling across the county. A big thank you to all the teachers, administrators, parents, and students who helped make this year’s International Walk and Roll to School Day a safe and fun event for thousands of students in Alameda County.
