Walking and bicycling to school among school-aged children has decreased from approximately fifty percent to less than fifteen percent over the past forty years. Active travel is crucial for improving community and personal health, benefiting the environment, increasing safety and helping to decrease traffic and congestion around schools.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is an international initiative to make active travel to school safe, convenient and fun for children to walk and bike to school everyday. Nationally, SRTS is a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. The program is designed to help communities develop and implement projects and programs that encourage walking and biking to promote healthier, more active lifestyles for elementary school-age children, lifestyles that will hopefully remain with them throughout their entire life.

To view this factsheet, go to http://www.ncpad.org/596/2543/2008~ International~Walk~to ~School~ Day~-~Solomon~Elementary~School~~Chicago~~Illinois