New research from the National Center for Safe Routes to School shows that more kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) students are walking to and from school. The research is based on parent surveys conducted from 2007 to 2012 at nearly 4,700 schools across the country.
According to the study, the percentage of K-8 children who walked to school in the morning increased from 12.4 percent to 15.7 percent, representing a 27 percent increase. The percentage of K-8 children who walked from school in the afternoon increased from 15.8 percent to 19.7 percent, representing a 24 percent increase. Another significant finding was that the percentage of parents who reported that their child’s school supported walking and bicycling rose from 24.9 to 33 percent.
The full report, “Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School from 2007 to 2012,” is available on the National Center for Safe Routes to Schools website. Montgomery County’s Safe Routes to School Program routinely surveys local schools in partnership with the State of Maryland.
