Every morning there's school, rain or shine, Christina Parker shepherds a group of children through the woods in Newton. "The kids love it," said Parker, 50. "It's obviously a tremendous way to start the day. It's healthy. It just makes a lot more sense to me to be walking instead of driving." Parker's flock came together informally. But such groups may soon get a boost from a bill pending in the Legislature that would distribute federal funds to communities to promote walking and biking to school. The Safe Routes to Schools Bill is designed to help communities establish safety education programs; install new crosswalks, bike lanes, and signs; construct and replace sidewalks and traffic-calming bumps; and build multi use trails connecting to schools. More...
Information from the federal Centers for Disease Control's KidsWalk-to-School program can be found at www. cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk.
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