ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY

Held annually on the second Wednesday in May, Bike, Walk and Roll to School Day builds on the momentum of Walk Bike and Roll to School Day in October, but on wheels — with a focus on bicycling. The May celebration, part of Bike Month, helps to raise community awareness about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety education, safe routes to schools, well-maintained walkways, and traffic calming in our neighborhoods and around our schools.

2021 BIKE, WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY UPDATE

Like in 2020, Bike Walk and Roll to School Day 2021 was extended from one day into a month-long celebration! Although many students were back at school at least two days a week, APS opted to “roll with it” and celebrate Bike Month, while ensuring continued adherence to social distancing guidelines and APS, local and state public health guidance. This approach also allowed students attending school online to stay involved! Each school day throughout Bike Month 2021, @APSsaferoutes tweeted ideas, activities, resources and bike safety tips to help families and students celebrate biking (and walking and rolling) not just for one day and not just to and from school, but every day and everywhere!

The 20+ days of tips, activities and updates were captured on our Twitter account (@APSsaferoutes) and compiled below. Not every option applied to every school, neighborhood, age or need, but students and families were able to pick the ones that work for them, put on their helmets, jump on their bikes and go! Remember these ideas aren’t just for Bike Month either–you can use them all year round!

*LET’S ROLL WITH IT: CELEBRATE BIKING, WALKING AND ROLLING ALL MONTH #APSBIKES2021 #APSROLLS2021***

Follow us @APSsaferoutes for our daily tweets featuring ideas to get you
biking, walking and rolling throughout the month of May!
So you can plan ahead, we’re also posting them by the week, right here!

MONDAY, MAY 3 On this rainy day 1 of #BikeMonth, make sure your bike is ready to go with an #ABCQuickCheck Check out this step-by-step guide – https://bit.ly/ABCQC – or watch here https://bit.ly/ABCQCvideo No bike to check? Take a #virtual ride-https://bit.ly/360Bike!
TUESDAY, MAY 4 It’s a beautiful day for an after-school bike ride! Not sure where to go? Check out this @WABADC / @BikeArlington Bike Basics Workshop on Rules of the Road and Route Planning video, recorded May 4, 2020! Wear your helmet!
May the 4th be with you!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 Happy #BiketoSchoolDay 2021! Don’t worry if rain deterred you from riding this morning. Since @APSVirginia is celebrating #APSBike2SchoolDay 2021 all month long, you have 26 more days in #BikeMonth to get your ride in! Tweet photos as you ROLL WITH IT this May! #APSBikes2021
THURSDAY, MAY 6 Take advantage of today’s sunny weather and get ready for #APSRolls2021 next week with a practice ride. Here are some COVID-era riding tips from the west coast Take photos of your ride, then share with hashtags #BiketoSchoolDay #APSBikes2021
FRIDAY, MAY 7 Don’t forget Sunday is Mothers Day! Instead of picking a bouquet of flowers from your garden, celebrate mom and #BikeMonth on 2 or more wheels at APS’ new temporary TRAFFIC GARDEN, on the blacktop at Arlington Traditional School. @TrafficGardens
MONDAY, MAY 10 @APSVirginia Elementary Students…. Get ready for #APSRolls2021 on Tuesday, May 11 and Thursday, May 13! Students who bike, walk or roll to school will get a safety prize on arrival, so make sure you can go the distance! Do a bike safety “ABC Quick Check” https://bikeleague.org/content/basic-bike-check tonight, with help from these @BikeLeague videos.
TUESDAY, MAY 11 Let’s Roll! It’s @APSVirginia Transportation Week & Week 2 of #BikeMonth, so we’re celebrating biking, walking, rolling…and buses! We’re recognizing elementary school students who bike, walk or roll on May 11 (Tuesday-Wednesday students) and May 13 (Thursday-Friday students) and showing our appreciation for all @APSSchoolBus drivers and attendants on May 13 and 14! We’re all part of the #SafeRoutestoSchool network, so get ready to ride SAFELY by checking your helmet fit before you head out! https://bikeleague.org/content/bike-helmets
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 – Use the bike lights, reflectors, wristbands and other safety give-aways you received if you biked, walked or rolled to school on Tuesday! If you couldn’t use muscle power yesterday or if you attend school virtually, never fear. Just bike, walk or roll to school on least one day, from today through May 14 and claim your safety prize! Thanks to @APSVirginia partners @arlsafestreets @BikeArlington @WalkArlington + volunteers for organizing and coordinating #APSRolls2021 as part of our #BikeMonth celebration!
THURSDAY, MAY 13 – Week 2 of #BikeMonth was chilly, so we shared these inspiring and informative bike videos to help students and families warm up to biking to school! People for Bikes–https://youtu.be/dzbvQMWd0es and REI–https://youtu.be/ADkm4qkXAj8 We also honored our beloved @APSSchoolBus drivers, who’ve had to learn so many routes/schedules to get our bus riders to school and home again this crazy COVID year! Here’s to the Bus Drivers, Attendants and +@APSFacilities Transportation staff!! #APSBusLove Roll with it!
FRIDAY, MAY 14 – Happy Day 2 of Bus Driver / Attendant Appreciation, Day 5 of Transportation Week, and Day 14 of #BikeMonth! We recognized elementary students who’ve biked/walked/rolled to school this week. This bike safety opportunity is for @APSVirginia Middle and High School students, who can learn how to become a bike mechanic and Earn-A-Bike in the process with @PhoenixBikes www.phoenixbikes.org/eab https://app.peachjar.com/flyers/2069765/schools/24884

MONDAY, MAY 17 Happy Week 3 of #BikeMonth, @APSVirginia! Look what grew at @HFBAllStars overnight! Thanks to @TrafficGardens, @CyclingPotomac, @PhoenixBikes, @KidicalMassARL, @ArlingtonDES, @arlparksrec and @BikeArlington, plus volunteers and funding from @VaDOT /Virginia Safe Routes to School mini-grant, we are pleased to debut @ArlingtonVA‘s first Secret Traffic Garden. And how does our new #TrafficGarden grow? With Stop Signs + Roundabouts + Bike Lanes all in a row! Take a spin after school or on the weekend–around back, by playground, tennis courts and basketball court at Hoffman-Boston! Thanks to @SYNLawn for bringing our garden to life with your generous donation! This Traffic Garden is temporary so make sure you help it grow by biking over before it disappears this summer, at the end of growing season…TUESDAY, MAY 18 Have you heard them, @APSVirginia? Cicadas are here just in time for #APSBikes2021, so here’s a way to celebrate #BikeMonth that won’t come again for 17 years! Go on a #Cicada Ride! Look for the tree with the most shells, the smallest, biggest, cutest, loudest cicada! Ride 17 blocks, 17 minutes, 17 miles over the weekend! Let’s roll, Brood X!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 It’s already nearing the end of #Bike Month 2021!?! To finish strong, we’re getting back to basics with local bike experts, from Washington Area Bicyclists Association youth classes (email youth@waba.org) to BikeArlington‘s tips on bike turns to use of hand signals. Ready to roll?

THURSDAY, MAY 20 Washington Area Bicyclists Association/BikeArlington recently teamed up for a Bike Basics Workshop on Riding with Youth . Listen to the recording. If your youthful rider is still on training wheels, then you might also want to watch this WABA video on learning to ride a bike. Looking for families to ride with? Then Kidical Mass Arlington is for you! @KidicalMassARL.

FRIDAY, MAY 21 Happy #BiketoWorkDay 2021, @APSVirginia staff + families! The sun is out, the breeze is cool and it’s Friday, all perfect reasons to two-wheel it to work, school or wherever you need to go! @APSVirginiastaff are in a unique position to double-dip for #BikeMonth 2021 – you can celebrate BOTH #BiketoWorkDay and #BiketoSchoolDay by biking to school (= work) on Friday, May 21! https://bikearlington.com/bike-to-work-day / @Redding APS @SuptDuran @ATPcommutes Not going to school in person? Not working in an office? You can also: Ride A Bike to the Store / Ride A Bike for Errands / Ride A Bike with a Friend / Ride A Bike with Your Pet / Ride A Bike to a Meeting / Ride A Bike to Transit / Just Ride A Bike!!! #BikeInstead @BikeArlington @PhoenixBikes @APSHPEAthletics @APSHPE2 #APSBikes2021

MONDAY, MAY 24 There are so many great resources in our area to connect kids with bikes! Check out longtime APS partner Phoenix Bikes and their amazing youth programs. Here’s a youth-friendly safe cycling video series, sponsored by friends at @BikeneticFC. The first video covers bike related signs and symbols. Watch now: Cycling Arlington with @Phoenix Bikes: Trail Signs & Symbols

TUESDAY, MAY 25 BikeArlington offers a vast array of bike-friendly resources and biking opportunities for Arlington and the region. Learn about the signs and symbols on the Arlington Loop! Check out their Bike Maps and Bike Comfort Maps. Follow them @BikeArlington. Get involved!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26 As we wrap up our #APSBikes2021 celebration and, in a few weeks, the school year, it’s time to start planning your active commute for next year! How about organizing a #BikeTrain? Start here :https://apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1-Walking-School-Bus-GUIDANCE.APS-FNL.pdf All aboard, @APSVirginia

THURSDAY, MAY 27 Did you know that @APSVirginia teaches bike riding and bike safety to 2nd-3rd graders in Health/Physical Education? The #bike unit lasts about two weeks and moves from elementary school to elementary school, with help from @APSFacilities and a jam-packed trailer full of bikes and equipment. After our COVID year, @APSHPEAthletics teachers are looking forward to rolling out the bikes and kicking off the program again in 2021-22.

FRIDAY, MAY 28 @APSVirginia, our @BikeArlington friends have come up with a great way to close out #BikeMonth! A #bike scavenger hunt! Like the @PhoenixBikesTreasure Hunt at the beginning of May, you will be richly rewarded if you look hard enough! To celebrate all that we have achieved this Bike Month, they will be hiding some great giveaways at four locations around Arlington that are easy to get to by bike – if you find ‘em, you keep ’em! And if you missed the Scavenger Hunt, here is one last kid-friendly, bike-friendly local resource that will give you plenty of reasons to ride through the rest of Bike Month 2021 and beyond @KidicalMassARL

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Walk Bike and Roll to School Day is an international celebration that encourages students to walk or bike to school while teaching them about the health, environmental and transportation benefits of walking and biking. Held annually on the first Wednesday in October, Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day also helps to raise community awareness about the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety education, safe routes to schools, well-maintained walkways, and traffic calming in our neighborhoods and around our schools.

–PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES ON APS PLANS FOR 2020–

APS schools and students are encouraged to walk the walk all year long by adopting weekly walking and biking promotions like “Walking Wednesdays” and “Foot Fridays,” supporting formation of Walking School Buses, Bike Trains and other creative commutes, and sharing important pedestrian and bike safety information for all ages.

To prepare for and promote your school’s participation, visit the national Walk Bike and Roll to School Day website, check out all the great resources on APS’ and Virginia’s Safe Routes to School sites, and use WalkArlington‘s Walk Bike and Roll to School Day Toolkit .

WALK BIKE AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY 2020

With APS schools closed in response to COVID-19, Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day 2020, scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, was cancelled. Instead, APS celebrated walking, biking and rolling throughout the month of October. Calling the month-long celebration “Walktober,” APS SRTS shared ideas, activities, resources and safety tips here via Twitter every school day from October 1-31! All of these Walktober resources are captured below.

Walking Together Apart

While we were disappointed that we could not gather at school this year, we encouraged APS students and families to celebrate Walktober any way and any where possible — at home, around the neighborhood or near school. Students also practiced walking to school or to bus stops to prepare for schools re-opening. After all, there’s a route and destination for everyone, as long as we follow social distancing guidelines and APS, local and state public health guidance, walk with people you live with and heed all the usual pedestrian and bike safety rules.

Go the Distance, from a Distance!

Throughout Walktober, we offered daily resources to inspire you to get outside and walk, bike, or roll every day! These Walktober resources are captured here to support walking the walk all year round! We also encourage you to check out COVID-19 walking and biking resources from The National Center for Safe Routes to School and the National Safe Routes Partnership.

Ready? Set. Walk!

WALKTOBER 2020 WRAP-UP

CELEBRATE #WALKTOBER BY WALKING AND ROLLING ALL MONTH LONG
Go the Distance, From a Distance
#APSWalks2020Follow us @APSsaferoutes

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 – Happy #Walktober, @APSVirginia! Mother Nature has served up a perfect Fall day to get our month-long #APSWalks2020 festivities off on the right foot. Step 1: Visit http://walkbiketoschool.org/20-ideas-for-walk-to-school-day-2020/, pick one of the 20(!) kick-off ideas, and warm up for a month of movement, together and apart! And remember, this year, you can register your family or neighborhood.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2 – It’s Day 2 of @APSVirginia‘s #Walktober celebration, and the skies cleared just in time for a mid-day walk. Even in such perfect conditions, no matter what time of day, day of the week, or season of the year, we ALL need to follow pedestrian safety rules. So #BeSafeBeSeen and start training for next week, when #APSWalks2020 kicks into high gear! (If you have time over the weekend, gear up by visiting Arlington Families for Safe Streets for more ped safety resources, for all ages)MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 – Welcome to the first Monday of #Walktober! We’re just getting started, so be sure to get outside for a sunlit walk at lunch or after class today! While you walk, notice the early fall colors, then watch how the colors change over the next 4 weeks! Start an #APSWalks2020 journal to keep track of it all!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6 – Even though we’re celebrating #Walktober for the whole month instead of celebrating #WalktoSchoolDay on one day (October 7) this year, we want you to get out and #WalktheBlock tomorrow in honor of the big day! It’s easy–just ask an adult, head out the door and stroll/roll around your neighborhood! And you can practice for tomorrow’s #WalktheBlock outing tonight by participating in @ArlingtonVA‘s virtual National Night Out 2020 celebration. Thanks @ArlingtonVaPD for supporting #APSWalks2020 — not just in #Walktober, not just to school but everyday and everywhere — while keeping our community connected and safe!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 – Today is the first Wednesday in #Walktober – also known as #WalktoSchoolDay. But since 2020 isn’t cooperating and @APSVirginia students aren’t back in schools yet, it’s time to #WalktheBlock!
Step 1 – Ask an adult / Step 2 – Put on shoes / Step 3 – Open the door / Step 4 – Walk/Roll!And when you walk the block instead of walking to school this #WalktoSchoolDay, you get to choose when and where you go! Document your route with photos and share away! @APSsaferoutes @SafeRoutesNow #APSWalks2020 #BeSafeBeSeen

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 – Hunting for ways to celebrate Day 8 of #Walktober, @APSVirginia? Try this #APSWalks2020 SCAVENGER HUNT!!

Before you get outside for today’s walk, #TakethePledge to practice good #pedestrian behavior! Download @ShareVARoads pocket guide and share the “Rules of the Road” with your VA family! We are all pedestrians at some point, we all need to practice good pedestrian behavior.
#BeSafeBeSeen https://bit.ly/2Skis8u

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 – It’s the 2nd Friday of #Walktober! Here are 2 #APSWalks2020 steps 2 inspire your 2 feet, 2 eyes, and 2 hands while you walk: #BeSafeBeSeen

Step 1-HEADS UP! Check out @APSVirginia student-made print and video Public Service Announcements! PSAs

Step 2-LOOK AROUND! Use this PICTURE JOURNAL 2 capture what you see!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12 – It’s a holiday for @APSVirginia students, but not exactly ideal #Walktober weather for a walk. Why not let your fingers do the walking and take some time to research which @ArlingtonVA neighborhoods to explore when the rains stop – http://walkarlington.com/walkabouts-maps/ Scroll down the page to find four kid-friendly, walk-friendly WalkArlington activity pages.TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 – It’s the second full week of Walktober. You’ve walked your block and your neighborhood. Soon some @APSVirginia students will be walking to school. We’ll be sharing #APSWalks2020 resources to help plan your school commute later this week. For now, keep exploring @ArlingtonVA with FREE @arlparksrec events like these https://parks.arlingtonva.us/events/rec-on-wheels-free-outdoor-family-fun-31/ !

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14 – Who says #Walktober is only for walking? Step beyond #APSWalks2020 and explore @ArlingtonVA‘s many multi-modal transportation options:
ONLINE with OurSharedStreet through October 15
ON BIKES with @PhoenixBikes Treasure Hunt from October 16-19. Register today!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – In just a few weeks, many @APSVirginia students will be heading back to campus! Let’s use #Walktober to prepare, starting with the sidewalk on the block where you live! What shape is it in? Does it feel safe? What grade would you give it? What would make it better? To celebrate Walktober and prepare for November, we’re calling on all @APSVirginia Elementary School (K-5) Citizen Scientists for help grading @ArlingtonVA sidewalks! It’s easy, fun and a chance to get outdoors! Use our electronic SIDEWALK AUDIT tool – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsRrKQTDzopRSuPP5P-BvvTvOs1bV8lti_PdAHC3a0dobI7w/viewform?usp=sf_link, collect your data and submit! Or if you’d rather record your data on paper, contact HeadsUp@apsva.us to get your printable copy! Thanks Arlington Families for Safe Streets for help with this #APSWalks2020 project!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 – Happy Friday! Use this Walktober weekend to start planning your school commute with a Sidewalk Audit (Grades K-5) or Walk and Roll Audit (Grades 6-8)! What’s a Walk Audit, you ask? Watch this short video, then you’ll be ready to complete an Audit yourself! All Audit tools are posted on the Safe Routes to School Resources page under SRTS Local Tools and Resources. Want links to the actual Sidewalk & Walk Audit forms? For Grades K-5, here’s the Sidewalk Audit Data Collection Project Paper Form or Googleform. For Grades 6-8, print out the Walk and Roll Audit form. Scan and submit paper forms to HeadsUp@apsva.us!MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 – Welcome to #Walktober Week 3, @APSVirginia! It’s time for Grades K-5 to start planning for return to school–whether by foot, bike or school bus or a combination. Let’s start with SCHOOL BUS riders! COVID and social distancing requirements mean there will be fewer students on-board (only 11 at a time) this Fall, but everyone still needs to get to the bus stop safely. Check out Safe Steps to the School Bus Stop, from our partners at @pedbikeinfo,for tips on how caregivers can encourage safe walking on any trip, with some special considerations for the walk to and from the school bus!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 – Use the time before you return to your classroom to practice your 2020-21 school routine, including your commute! Whether you’re heading to a new school or back to the same campus as last year, and whether you’re walking to school or to the bus stop, Walktober is high time to start your training regimen. And with COVID social distancing requirements limiting school bus service this fall, APS is expanding walk zones at 16 elementary schools. Maps showing these Expanded Walk Zones (XWZs) are posted online at https://apsva.us/aps-goes-green/transportation/sy-2020-21-expanded-walk-zones/ To support new walkers, XWZ “navigation” maps are now being developed for these 16 zones to help each XWZ family figure out the route that’s right for them.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 – APS is having an Internet “Snow Day” today, so parents and caregivers should get a break too! It’s too late to join the #WalkARLChallenge, but you can still use WalkArlington resources – maps, route recommendations and more! Just log off, lace up and go! No screen required!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 – Here’s a Walktober idea for @APSVirginia walkers heading back to campus in November! Whether you’re a new walker or just want to try something different for 2020-21, you could organize a Walking School Bus for your neighborhood! What’s a Walking School Bus? Students from the same neighborhood walking with designated adult leaders along a pre-determined route to/from school! Curious? Find resources here: https://apsva.us/safe-routes-to-school-overview/walking-school-buses/ And be sure to consider TRANSPORTATION as you weigh options for instructional delivery in 2020-21 (Decision deadline is tomorrow!)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 – @APSVirginia students, it’s Friday, Walktober 23, and you have the day off. It’s also just a few weeks until some of you will be heading back to campus, so it’s the perfect time to create your own personal Walk or Bike to School route map. Use this guide: MAP YOUR ROUTE-WALK BIKE.FINAL And watch for Navigation Maps being posted by APS to help students and families in Expanded Walk Zones. If you live in one of these zones, see how your personal map compares!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26 – It’s the final week of Walktober, also known as Pedestrian Safety Week, and Arlington County Vision Zero wants to know how safe you feel on your school commute. Public engagement for the Vision Zero Action Plan is happening now. Arlington County staff want to make sure that they hear from people across our community, so practice your route and weigh in before your student heads back to campus! You can share your input online and by phone at 833-459-2289. https://transportation.arlingtonva.us/visio…/get-involved/ Deadline is Friday, October 30! Don’t miss this chance to share your experiences on our streets, trails, sidewalks, and transit to help make our community safer!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 – It’s the 4th week of Walktober, and just in time for PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WEEK, here’s a great safety resource from our friends at Arlington Families for Safe Streets, in 4 languages – ENGLISH, SPANISH, AMHARIC and ARABIC – reminding us all to STOP and LOOK before crossing the street! Join their meeting https://arl.novasafestreets.org/event/arlington-families-for-safe-streets-2/ tonight to find out about all they’re doing because lives depend on you!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28 – Be sure to get outside today and enjoy the #Walktober daylight while we have it. Daylight Saving Time, when we “fall back” one hour, starts Sunday, November 1! That means it will be getting dark an hour earlier each day! Plan your wardrobe accordingly, so you can Be Safe and Be Seen!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 – The weather on this final Thursday of Walktober is not ideal for walking, but you can still take steps to mark Pedestrian Safety Month by sharing your input with Vision Zero (by October 30) English / Spanish and responding to the Safe Routes to School Parent Survey (by November 15). If you fill out the Parent Survey between now and October 31 you could win a $25 cash card! To be eligible, parents and caregivers must provide an email address where they can be contacted. Ten winners will be selected in a drawing. English Survey Spanish Survey

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 – You did it @APSVirginia! You went the distance from a distance for all of #Walktober. Congratulations and thanks for rolling with our 2020 #Walk2SchoolDay change-up! To close out the month, today’s focus is on #Halloween change-ups for 2020. Watch this space — @APSsaferoutes — all day for options!

BeSafeBeSeen and avoid COVID-19 this Halloween! It’s still 2020 so like everything else, Halloween will be different, but it can still be fun–as long as you celebrate with caution. Here’s how: https://newsroom.arlingtonva.us/release/halloween-arlington-covid19-safety/

BIKE/WALK/ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY

Held annually on the second Wednesday in May, Bike Walk and Roll to School Day builds on the momentum of Walk Bike and Roll to School Day in October, but on wheels — with a focus on bicycling. The May celebration, part of Bike Month, helps to raise community awareness about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety education, safe routes to schools, well-maintained walkways, and traffic calming in our neighborhoods and around our schools.

2020 BIKE WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY UPDATE

With Arlington Public Schools closed in response to COVID-19, Bike W alk and Roll to School Day 2020 was cancelled. Undeterred by the pandemic, APS opted to celebrate Bike Month! While we were not able to gather at school this year, we still managed to celebrate while following social distancing guidelines and APS, local and state public health guidance, biking with people we live with and heeding all the usual road/bike safety rules.

Each school day throughout Bike Month, we offered ideas, resources and tips to help families and students do just that, not just for Bike Month but all year long.

BIKE WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY

Held annually on the second Wednesday in May, Bike Walk and Roll to School Day builds on the momentum of Walk Bike and Roll to School Day in October, but on wheels — with a focus on bicycling. The May celebration, part of Bike Month, helps to raise community awareness about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety education, safe routes to schools, well-maintained walkways, and traffic calming in our neighborhoods and around our schools.

BIKE WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY 2019

Held annually on the second Wednesday in May, Bike Walk and Roll to School Day builds on the momentum of Walk Bike and Roll to School Day, with a focus on bicycling. The May celebration, part of Bike Month, helps to raise community awareness about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety education, safe routes to schools, well-maintained walkways, and traffic calming in our neighborhoods and around our schools. Student cyclists gather with bikes at ATS to appear on TV for Bike to School Day

The 2019 event took place on Wednesday, May 8, and included bike parades, bicycle check-ups, safety resources, and giveaways from DC Bike Ride, BikeArlington and WalkArlington. The happenings at Arlington Traditional School even generated some local news coverage on WJLA-TV (ABC)!

APS has taken part in Bike, Walk and Roll to School Day since its inception in 2012, with all schools participating in some way each year. To prepare and promote your school’s event, visit the national Walk Bike and Roll to School Day website, check out all the great resources on Virginia’s Safe Routes to School site, and use BikeArlington‘s Bike Walk and Roll to School Day Toolkit !

APS & WALK BIKE and ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY

2018 Walk & Bike to School Day Participation Breaks Virginia Record

Arlington Public Schools celebrated Walk and Bike to School Day 2018 on Wednesday, October 10. All 37 schools and programs took part, contributing to a record-breaking 364 events across Virginia, second only to California. CLAREMONT COLLAGE FINAL

This year, Spanish-language immersion school Claremont Elementary was selected as APS’ Walk and Bike to School Day “focus school.” Home to 750+ students, most of whom do not live within walking distance of school, Claremont showed that walking and biking isn’t just for those in the neighborhood.

Starting around 7:20 am, students and families began arriving on foot, bike, scooter, carpool and school bus. Some who drove parked nearby and walked the rest of the way with parents and younger siblings, some in strollers. They checked in and got stickers then proceeded to the back of school for a bilingual, multimodal celebration.

Once there, students were welcomed with music from a teacher doubling as a DJ and numerous activities put together by Claremont’s Health/Physical Education teachers, who had set up bike obstacle courses, mapped out grade-level walking routes, and organized a demonstration featuring contraptions including giant tricycles, cargo bikes, electric bikes, and the rotating elementary PE bike fleet.

To cap off the morning, Claremont Principal Ms. Panfil and Assistant Principal Ms. Gonzales donned helmets and hopped on the giant trikes for a three-wheeled race/bike safety demo! By the time students headed into class, they had celebrated Walk and Bike to School Day 2018 on two wheels and two feet, in English and Spanish. Vamonos!

1000s of APS Students Participate in Walk & Bike to School Day 2017

On Wednesday, October 4, students across Arlington County and around the globe participated in Walk and Bike to School Day 2017.

After arriving at school on foot, by bike, and by bus, students at Hoffman-Boston Elementary followed a customized campus walking route to the huge field behind school. Once there, all 500+ pre-school through 5th grade students picked up passports and proceeded to five stations – arranged in the five points of a star – where they took part in energizing activities on walking and biking.

When it was time for the stations to close, Hoffman-Boston students, staff, and families capped off the morning’s festivities by assembling inside that same five-point star for an aerial photograph, taken by a firefighter from high atop an Arlington County Fire Department tower truck. Click here for more on the active transportation celebration at Hoffman-Boston!

All Arlington Public Schools took part in Walk and Bike to School Day 2017 – APS’ 16th year of participation — with support from APS’ grant-funded Safe Routes to School program and Arlington County’s WalkArlington, BikeArlington, and Arlington Transportation Partners. To get a sense of the momentum that is building at schools everywhere, check out the more than 5,000 events registered in Virginia and around the United States last year alone!

APS & BIKE AND WALK TO SCHOOL DAY

Bike and Walk to School Day 2018

Bike and Walk to School Day 2018 took place on Wednesday, May 9. On a perfect spring morning, thousands of students from all 30+ Arlington Public Schools (APS) biked and walked to school, along with family members, teachers, APS staff and community partners.

Each school celebrated Bike and Walk to School Day in its own way, from organizing bike trains to handing out safety items to holding school-wide assemblies. Some APS staff biked too!

Many APS students already bike and walk every day, so schools used the occasion to recognize those year-round efforts while encouraging more students to give walking and biking a try.

By encouraging a nationwide bike-focused celebration for students every year in the month of May, Bike and Walk to School Day builds on the popularity and success of Walk and Bike to School Day, which is celebrated across the country – and around the world – each October.

Bike and Walk to School events work to create safer routes for bicycling and walking, and emphasize the importance of a range of impacts such as physical activity among children, cyclist and pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and connections between families, schools and the community.

Bike and Walk to School Day 2019 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8. Visit Virginia Safe Routes to School’s resources on Bike and Walk to School Day and check out BikeArlington‘s Bike and Walk to School Day Toolkit to prepare and promote your 2019 event!