Tag Archive for: International Walk & Roll to School Day

International Walk and Roll Day Brings out Youth in Alameda County

International Walk and Roll to School Day is the first big event of the school year for the Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) program. This year, it was held on October 9, and it was a huge success. 

Kicking off a year of walking and rolling

International Walk and Roll to School Day encourages students, families, and school staff to be more physically active while reducing pollution from transportation emissions. It promotes mode shift to active transportation and shared modes, such as carpooling or taking public transit. 

International Walk and Roll to School Day 2024

Transform SR2S staff and the many school champions who make this day happen celebrated students who walked, rolled, carpooled, or took the bus to school. We raised awareness about the Safe Routes program and the support available for people who want to bring more movement into their school commutes.

Moving toward mode shift

This year, 143 schools participated in the event, and 101 sent in counts. Over 10,000 students walked to school, more than 4,300 rolled in on bikes or scooters, and almost 3,400 carpooled. Close to 1,100 students got to school on school buses or public transit, for a total of close to 19,000 students participating in the day. That’s more than twice as many as the 8,400 students who came to school in a solo car. 

International Walk and Roll to School Dayl takes a large number of cars off the road, reducing congestion and making the trip to school easier, safer, and more pleasant. It was a day of mode shift in action, with more students walking than driving, and a great start to a year of active and shared transportation activities.

How Transform Prepares for International Walk & Roll to School Day

International Walk & Roll to School Day is rolling around again. This year’s celebration is on Wednesday, October 9, and our programs team is supporting 143 schools in Alameda County to make this happen with the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) program.

It’s been a busy few weeks at our offices. Here’s what it takes to get ready to create a fun day that encourages tens of thousands of students to choose active transportation for their commutes.

Organizing materials

Prizes and giveaways are a big part of International Walk & Roll to School Day. Our staff creates packages for each participating school, with promotional posters, mode charts to track how students got to school, and mood-changing pencils to reward students when they walk or roll up to school.

Preparing volunteers

International Walk & Roll to School Day school volunteers attend a task force held by our programs team to make sure they have all the information they need to host a successful event. In addition to getting the schools onboard, our programs team also wrangles Transform policy and administrative staff join in the fun by volunteering at one of our schools.

Showing up for the students

On the day of the event, Transform staff, our school champions, Safe Routes Youth Task Force members, and others will be on hand to lead walking school buses and bike trains, cheer on the walkers and rollers, hand out swag, and make sure everyone has a fantastic time celebrating active and shared transportation.

It’s a lot of work to have this much fun, but it’s worth it! Transform’s SR2S staff do what it takes throughout the school year to help youth discover the freedom and joy of active and shared transportation, creating habits that can last a lifetime.

Get excited!

Almost 3,500 schools across the US will participate in International Walk & Roll to School Day this year. At Transform, we’re thrilled to be part of the growing movement for active mobility, and we can’t wait to share the excitement with Alameda County students on October 9.