WALK BIKE ROLL TO SCHOOL

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.
WALK/BIKE/ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY
This international celebration 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.
APS schools and students are encouraged to walk the walk all year long by adopting weekly walking and biking promotions like “Moving Mondays,” “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 .
2021 BIKE, WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY RECAP
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 ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY 2020 RECAP
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-UPCELEBRATE #WALKTOBER BY WALKING AND ROLLING ALL MONTH LONG
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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 Walk 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.
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.
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!
Arlington Public Schools Celebrates Bike and Walk to School Day 2017
Check out these highlights from last year’s event, held on May 10, 2017
Read the full press release here











