October 2015 Walk and Bike to School Month – Part 2

Walk and Bike to School Month was celebrated this past October throughout New Jersey with schools and communities participating in walk and bike to school days, walking school buses, walking contests and competitions as well as bike rodeos.  Here are some highlights from the Safe Routes to School Regional Coordinators from the other four of our eight Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) from across the state. (Click here to read October 2015 Walk and Bike to School Celebrated throughout NJ for summaries from the other four TMAs.)   Check out what your school and community did for this year’s NJ October Walk and Bike to School Week!

Cross County Connection TMA – Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties:

Cross County Connection assisted 20 schools throughout southern New Jersey with Walk to School events this fall, reaching roughly 2,540 students within 14 municipalities. They assisted schools by helping conduct walk to school events and through giveaways which were distributed by walk to school leaders in their respective schools.

Margate City’s International Walk to School Day event included over 300 students participating from Tighe Middle School and Ross Intermediate School. Safety giveaways such as glow in the dark bracelets, reflective sneaker stickers, and whistle lights were distributed.  In Gibbsboro School’s Walk to School Day students participated by either biking or walking to school. Safety giveaways were also handed out to participating students.

Hudson TMA – Hudson County:
Hudson TMA’s Walk to School 2015 had 15 schools participate. Over 1,300 children and family members walked between September and November. A total of about 4,400 children participated in the Walk More and Walk Safely rallies held at each school in their auditoriums after the walk.

Ridewise TMA – Somerset County:

Ridewise helped facilitate a variety of events for Walk and Bike Month this year. Schools such as the West End School, the East End School, Somerset School and Stony Brook School all held their Walking School Bus events with good participation. At the Van Derveer School, all 800+ children were given walking and biking instruction through three large group sessions, and their Walking School Bus event had about 45 participating students. Stony Brook School also held a Walking School Bus event that had 70 student participants and were pleased to accept a Bronze SRTS Recognition Award from NJDOT. For the Bound Brook SRTS Walking School Bus event, they walked all routes while cleaning up on along the routes, talked to the crossing guards, demonstrated safe walking skills and cleaned the arrival area at a local park. Other events that were conducted in November included Miles that Matter and a Safety Poster Contest.

TransOptions TMA -Essex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union and Warren Counties :

Salt Brook Elementary in New Providence held their district-wide Walk to School Day event. Students walking to school got the chance to high-five the school’s mascot while TransOptions’ employees distributed free giveaways as encouragement and rewards. Washington Elementary and Morris Plains held Traffic Safety Town presentations. The course was offered to the schools as a Safe Routes to School/Street Smart campaign to give students a hands-on lesson about the rules of the road through the perspective of multiple modes of travel. Because of the event’s proximity to Halloween, additional “Trick or Treat Bags” were added to the course to reinforce pedestrian safety principles during the holiday. All students from Washington Elementary 4th grade classes and Morris Plains’ 3^rd and 4th grade classes participated.