Check out Chelsea's (7^th grader, Roseway Heights) excellent essay entitled, "Walking & Biking to School is Important & Fun Especially in the Rain" below. It also received an Honorable Mention from our judges.

Walking & Biking to School is Important & Fun Especially in the Rain

I think that walking and biking to school is important because it helps you stay fit and it saves gas. It also helps prevent pollution because cars are a big reason why there is so much pollution in the world. I think its fun to walk and bike in the rain because it makes you feel invigorating. It is also fun because you get wet. (I like being wet :P). It is very fun to ride with friends and/or family, which is what I do, because then you feel even better. I also believe that walking and/or riding to school will help change the community culture and create environments that are fun for people young and old. Walking and biking to school also boosts our students’ health. I think that walking is a good way for children and adults to keep in shape and be active. If you walk and/or bike to school everyday you could get healthy or fit very easily and it would boost your metabolism. If children are overweight then it could lead to a chronic illness as an adult, which is very bad. You could get some types of cancer which could lead to death. You are supposed to get at least 30-60 minutes of exercise a day depending on your age and walking and/or biking to - and most likely from- school would most likely give you that exercise you need depending on how far away you live. In conclusion I believe it is VERY FUN to walk and/or bike to school everyday.

Chelsea Houston

7^th grade, Roseway Heights School

Take a peak at budding environmentalist Shealan's essay below. Shealan's essay received an Honorable Mention from our judges in our Student Essay Contest.

I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the school year that I wouldn’t drive to school all year long.  And so far, so good.  Every day I bundle up for the cold, rainy weather.  If it’s rainy, I walk so I can hold an umbrella.  If it’s cloudy, I ride my bike, and if it’s sunny, I ride my scooter.  When I walk I think about all the animals being killed by the pollution.  It makes me feel sad.  If everybody would walk or ride then this earth would last a lot longer and there would be more plants and animals. 

Shealan van Butler, Grade 3, Beverly Cleary School

From our Winter Safe Routes Newsletter:

What do walking and biking to school have to do with obesity, mental health, and asthma?  A lot! Children who walk and bike to school have higher physical activity levels throughout the day, helping them meet the recommended 60 minutes of activity daily. This level of activity helps prevent childhood obesity and supports healthy bones.

Walking and biking to school is also a great way for kids to get the physical activity needed for healthy minds. Kids who are more physically active have better academic performance. Studies are also beginning to show that exposure to nature and free outdoor play can reduce stress and relieve ADHD symptoms. If that isn’t enough to get you out of your car, think about the air quality around a school when dozens of parents sit in idling cars while their children jump out. Air pollution has contributed to childhood asthma rates doubling between 1980 and the mid-1990s. Asthma rates remain at historically high levels and cause 14 million missed school days every year. Walking and biking to school is healthy for kids, healthy for communities, and healthy for the planet.

Dr. Jennifer Rupert is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist practicing at Kaiser Permanente in North Portland. Dr. Rupert was one of six dignitaries to address James John Elementary students on Walk+Bike to School Day this past October.

It has come to our attention that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall on a bicycle bell we provided through the Safe Routes to School SmartTrips program during the 2007-2008 (bell pictured here). It has recently been discovered that the red paint on the bell contains more lead than federal standards allow.

While no incidents or injuries have been reported Safe Routes would be happy to replace this bell with a new model we currently distribute. Simply mail your old bell to this address:

Safe Routes to School SmartTrips

Attn: Taylor Sutton

1120 SW 5^th Ave, Ste 800

Portland, OR  97204

Please include your name and address along with the bell you received through our program. If you have questions feel free to contact Taylor Sutton directly at taylor.sutton@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-4533.

For more information, or if you got a recalled bike bell from another program or vendor, see the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission press release.

Yesterday we blogged about hauling your Farmers Market windfall home on your bike.  Today we introduce the walking shopping cart for your morning stroll to the market.

Alan Durning at Sightline Institute has a fun essay singing the praises of the walking shopping cart, AKA "granny cart."

There are now lots of models with different levels of strength, ease and style. The Cities 21 website has a nice summary of several different granny carts.

Do you use a hand shopping cart? Do you think you would use one?