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 .
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
#APSWalks2020 Follow 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 h ave 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 engagem ent 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/
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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. These resources are captured here, and they aren’t just for Bike Month. We encourage you to use them all year round! Though not every option below applies to every neighborhood and need, pick the ones that work for you, put on your helmet, jump on your bike and go!
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!
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Please help continue the strong sense of community that makes Bike, Walk and Roll to School Day so powerful by sharing ideas and posting your photos on Twitter using the hashtags #BiketoSchoolDay, #BikeMonth and #APSBikes2020.
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
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.
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.
