Walking School Bus seeks to shrink waists, carbon footprint

New program begins Oct. 3

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   Students at the Ben Franklin Elementary School are being encouraged to hop on the school bus — the walking school bus, that is.
   Lawrence Township’s Health and Recreation departments are teaming with the K-3 elementary school on Princeton Pike to coax children to walk to school to help cut down on pollution and reduce childhood obesity.
   Beginning Oct. 3, designated as International Walk to School Day, children can join the nearest “walking school bus route,” township Superintendent of Recreation Steven Groeger told Township Council on Tuesday night.
   ”We are going to encourage the children to walk to school every Wednesday,” Mr. Groeger said. Each “walking school bus” will be accompanied by an adult “bus driver.” Senior citizens who belong to the Recreation Department’s walking club may volunteer to be the adult “bus drivers,” he added.
   Three walking bus routes have been set up — for children in the Pine Knoll, Glenn Avenue and Stonicker Drive neighborhoods. The walking school bus will stop at designated points on each of the routes to pick up more walkers on the way to the Ben Franklin Elementary School, Mr. Groeger said.
   ”Parents can bring their children to the ‘bus stop’ and walk to school with them,” he said. He added that it is hoped the practice will continue every Wednesday for the rest of the school year.
   ”We want to address the problem of childhood obesity,” he said. “Secondarily, we want to address the issue of sustainability. Each mile that is walked reduces carbon monoxide in the air. It saves the environment.”
   Meanwhile at the council meeting, Mayor Gregory Puliti presented a proclamation designating Oct. 3 as International Walk to School Day to Jane Millner, director of community relations and development for the St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center in Lawrence.
   St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center plans to participate in the International Walk to School Day, Ms. Millner said. It will hand out pedometers to the children as an incentive for them to walk. The children can keep track of how many steps they have taken, she said.
   St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center is the lead organization in the Mercer County chapter of New Jersey Safe Kids, Ms. Millner said. The goal is to prevent unnecessary childhood injuries, she added.
   Every year for the past six years, St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center has participated in a walking survey with school children in conjunction with International Walk to School Day. The youngsters are given a “walkability” check list that helps identify hazards on their way to school.
   Those safety hazards may include sidewalks blocked by Dumpsters or poles, broken or cracked sidewalks, or even a lack of sidewalks and paths, according to the walkability survey.
   Crossing the street also presents hazards, such as parked cars that blocked the walker’s view or a road that was too wide. Striped crosswalks or traffic lights may be needed to make it safer to cross the street. Drivers’ behavior also is factored into the survey.
   ”We are a rehabilitation center and we see firsthand what happens,” Ms. Millner said. “We feel it is our mission and duty to prevent injuries, and the best place to start is with children’s safety.”