Carpooling, hopping on the school bus or walking are a few ways students travel to and from school. On Friday, May 10, you may have noticed a large number of children riding bikes with their parents to J. Fithian Tatem Elementary School.
This is the second time the school has participated in National Ride a Bike to School Day to help enlighten the community about the need to create safer bicycle and walking routes, as well as emphasizing the importance of physical activity, pedestrian safety and more.
The rain prevented students from riding in on the official day Wednesday, May 8, but it didn’t stop the students from participating on a rain-free day. They pedaled in at 8 a.m., parked on the blacktop and gathered for helmet fitting seminars, raffles and more before starting school at 8:30 a.m.
Heather Vaughn, Tatem parent and Cross County Connections Safe Route to School Champion, said the event is part of the safe route to school, biking and walking initiative — a statewide initiative in which NJDOT and Cross County Connections partnered to administer statewide bicycle and pedestrian safety education and encouragement programs.
More than 1,300 schools across the nation were registered for the event, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to Schools.
Cross County Connections regional director David Calderetti said the event is part of an educational process to help promote a sustainable program.
“It’s a big thing to achieve sustainability,” he said.
Working with many school districts in the surrounding area, Calderetti said this is the first time the organization is working with a school in Haddonfield. He said if every school in Haddonfield wanted to participate, Tatem would be a model.
According to Cross County Connections’ website, the program was created to assist schools and local municipalities create walking school buses, bicycle rodeos, youth bicycle and pedestrian education workshops, walk and bike to school events, and the development of school travel plans.
The school currently has a walking school bus, where children are supervised as they walk to and from school. Vaughn said she hopes to bring a bicycle rodeo to the school soon. Vaughn said the school participated in a walk to school day last October. Its success prompted her to look into having Ride a Bike to school day. With the population increasing, Vaughn said it is time to make the town safer for pedestrians.
“We live in a very walkable town,” she said, adding there are many benefits to hosting biking events.
Vaughn said the more bikers or walkers on the road the less traffic and emissions, and drivers would get used to seeing cyclists on the road.
According to Cross County Connections, the closest bicycle routes are at Cooper River Park, and Brace and Kresson roads in Cherry Hill. Vaughn said she received positive feedback from parents and students last year and she hopes to expand the event to a few days throughout the year.
“We can even do a bike to school day once a month. I would be behind continuing to do it,” she said.
For more information visit www.walkbiketoschool.org, or, visit www.driveless.com.
