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/

CELEBRATE BIKE MONTH and BIKING
ONE DAY AT A TIME, FROM A DISTANCE
#APSBIKES2020

Follow us @APSsaferoutes for our daily tweets featuring ideas to get you biking, walking and rolling,
safely and from a distance, all month long! So you can plan ahead,
we’re also posting them by the week, right here! 

• FRIDAY, MAY 1
  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! @APSVirginia #APSBikes2020
• MONDAY, MAY 4
  Decorate your sidewalk, windows or bike with signs encouraging your neighbors to bike and walk. For motivation to get biking, older students and caregivers can check out this inspirational video from People for Bikes
• TUESDAY, MAY 5
  Conduct a bike safety and helmet fit check. Do you have a bicycle? If so, have you done a basic safety check? Check the fit of your helmet and teach others in your family how to properly fit their helmets. Then, do the ABC Quick Check with help from the League of American Bicyclists. If you’re teaching a new bicyclist how to ride, check out this instructional REI video for beginners
• WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
  Get out for a walk or ride with your family! Can you take a bike ride around your neighborhood or a nearby trail? Or take a walk to hunt for chalk art or signs created by others near you? Tweet a photo of your family or a location on your route and tag @APSsaferoutes, #APSBikes2020, #BikeroSchoolDay and #BikeMonth
• THURSDAY, MAY 7
  Do you have safety concerns with walking or biking around your neighborhood? Learn more about who can help address those concerns using this list from Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and reach out.
• FRIDAY, MAY 8
  Hold a five-minute interview with family members about their experience walking or biking. Look online for resources and biking and walking activities encouraged by your state or community transportation departments and local advocacy groups.
• MONDAY, MAY 11
  If it was too cold for you to ride over the blustery Mother’s Day weekend, never fear! The weather is warming up this week, so get ready with these 5 refresher videos from our friends at the League of American Bicyclists. Watch one video a day and you’ll be ready for the more seasonal 80-degree weekend that’s forecasted!
• TUESDAY, MAY 12
  Go Global!  Whether you’re biking, walking, scootering or skateboarding, here are some resources from our friends to the north at Ontario Active School Travel  To turn any journey outside into a learning experience,
  • Kids can use this I-Spy card to hunt for signs of spring.
  • Adults can gauge their students’ understanding of pedestrian safety and readiness for independent active travel with this Sidewalk Smarts Passport 
  • All ages can follow @EcoSchoolsCan for more planet-friendly ways to spring into healthy action.
• WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
  The forecast for Day 13 of #BikeMonth is beautiful, so why not take a practice ride near your school! Read this article from BikePortland to prepare, then plan your route, put on your helmet and mask, and head out — taking care to maintain proper social distance! Take some photos on the way, then when you return, share your experience-in words + pictures on Twitter @APSsaferoutes, using the hashtags #BiketoSchoolDay and #APSBikes2020
• THURSDAY, MAY 14
  Take advantage of free #BiketoSchoolDay and #Safety video streaming and activity pages from I’m Safe! They’re offering complimentary access to three videos via Vimeo as well as safety activity pages and tip sheets that you can share.
• FRIDAY, MAY 15
  Teleworking parents and online teachers, here’s a way to celebrate #BiketoWorkDay from a distance…with BikeArlington’s Bike Challenge! What better way to remind ourselves of the joy of biking, and to stay connected during these uncertain times, than with a fun bike challenge? Celebrate #BikeMonth right here in Arlington by participating in a week-long bike challenge, May 17 – May 23! Learn more about the challenge, get your bike tuned up, and get ready for the #ArlBikeChallenge.
• MONDAY, MAY 18
  Happy Day 18 of Bike Month!  It’s time for APS students, families and staff to take the BikeArlington Challenge, celebrate the joys of biking, and stay connected–from a distance! Kick off week 3 of Bike Month by participating in the 7-day #ArlBikeChallenge from May 17–May 23, for a chance to receive BikeArlington giveaways. Learn about the Challenge, get your bike tuned up, and get ready to roll!
• TUESDAY, MAY 19
  It’s Day 19 and you’re ready to ride but not sure where to go?  Check out this recording from the May 4 Washington Area Bicyclists Association/BikeArlington Bike Basics Workshop on Rules of the Road and Route Planning.  
• WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
  After you’ve listened to the Washington Area Bicyclists Association/BikeArlington webinar recording for the region, turn to these Arlington-centric biking maps – the the BikeArlington Bike Map and Bicycle Comfort Level Map, two indispensable resources for two-wheel travel from BikeArlington.
• THURSDAY, MAY 21
  Washington Area Bicyclists Association/BikeArlington teamed up for another Bike Basics Workshop on Riding with Youth on April 27th. 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 once we can resume riding together instead of apart? Kidical Mass Arlington is for you! @kidicalmassarl.
• FRIDAY, MAY 22
  It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, and everyone’s itching to get out. But how do we maintain social distancing–for everyone’s safety–when Arlington’s wonderful local trails are more crowded than usual?  Avoid crowded trails with alternative routes!  Consult this BikeArlington list of low–stress street routes to try on your next bike ride. And when you’re ready to ride beyond the friendly confines of Arlington County, here’s a comprehensive list of apps and route-planning sites to explore, compiled by—you guessed it—Washington Area Bicyclists Association/BikeArlington!
• TUESDAY, MAY 26
  It’s already the last week of Bike Month 2020!?! 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?
• WEDNESDAY, MAY 27
  All aboard!  It’s Day 27 of Bike Month, three weeks til the end of this school year, and three months til the new school year. You’ve got all summer to start planning your Bike Train for 2020-21!  Use this Bike Train Tool Kit from Safe Routes to School National Partnership! Figure out your best route to school, share it with friends, ask them try it on their own, then when social distancing relaxes, you can go for a test ride!
• THURSDAY, MAY 28
  Here’s a riddle as we near the end of Bike Month and spring: What kind of garden doesn’t need water to grow? A TRAFFIC GARDEN!  And you can design your own! All you need to get started is some sidewalk chalk and your imagination. After that, you can incorporate items from your home and nature to help your garden grow! Check out Discover Traffic Gardens for a road map, plan your design — with an eye to safety for our student walkers and bicyclists — and plant the seeds for safety on all modes and for all ages!
• FRIDAY, MAY 29
  You did it! You went the distance, from a distance, and celebrated all four school weeks of Bike Month 2020. Keep on biking, keep up social distancing and go the distance all summer long! Then, when we come back to school we can help celebrate Bike to Work Week 2020 on September 21-27, Bike to Work Day 2020 on Tuesday, September 22 and Bike to School Day 2021 on Wednesday, May 5, 2021!