North Texas Students to Celebrate Active Transportation Oct. 9 by Walking to School
10/3/2024
Over 90 area schools plan to participate in annual event
PRESS RELEASE
Brian Wilson
Image provided by Canva
Arlington, TEXAS – Students across the Dallas-Fort Worth area are encouraged to prepare for an active commute to school October 9 as the nation celebrates Walk & Roll to School Day. More than 140 Texas schools have signed up to host Walk & Roll to School Day events, with over 90 of them in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the national website.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is hosting a promotion again this year filled with toolkits, safety resources and giveaways. Schools that pledged to host an event are entered into a raffle to win free safety-themed giveaways, and their students are eligible to enter a raffle for a new bicycle. NCTCOG conducted a similar bicycle giveaway in conjunction with Bike to School Day in May.
One way to entice more students to walk to school is by improving safety around schools. NCTCOG periodically funds infrastructure projects, such as bicycle-pedestrian trails, sidewalks and crosswalks, through Transportation Alternatives calls for projects. Since 2014, more than $33 million has been awarded to 44 Safe Routes to School projects through Transportation Alternatives calls for projects.
Another element of ensuring safe trips to school is protecting students in crosswalks adjacent to schools. NCTCOG is working to develop regional guidance for the placement of crossing guards near campuses. NCTCOG has been awarded a $5 million federal grant to streamline and support the establishment of school crossing guards and improve driver awareness in school zones through technology applications. The planning grant will help NCTCOG collect and analyze data on current conditions and challenges and develop a crossing guard regional model.
Walk & Roll to School Day is led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, which is committed to helping communities champion safe, active trips to school for all students. In 2016, the organization began the Vision Zero for Youth initiative, promoting safety near schools and other places students typically walk and ride their bikes in an effort to eliminate fatal and serious traffic crashes.
More information about NCTCOG’s Walk & Roll to School Day efforts is available here.
About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and make joint decisions.
 
NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered on the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. For more information on the NCTCOG Transportation Department, visit www.nctcog.org/trans.
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Brian Wilson
Image provided by Canva
Arlington, TEXAS – Students across the Dallas-Fort Worth area are encouraged to prepare for an active commute to school October 9 as the nation celebrates Walk & Roll to School Day. More than 140 Texas schools have signed up to host Walk & Roll to School Day events, with over 90 of them in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the national website.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is hosting a promotion again this year filled with toolkits, safety resources and giveaways. Schools that pledged to host an event are entered into a raffle to win free safety-themed giveaways, and their students are eligible to enter a raffle for a new bicycle. NCTCOG conducted a similar bicycle giveaway in conjunction with Bike to School Day in May.
One way to entice more students to walk to school is by improving safety around schools. NCTCOG periodically funds infrastructure projects, such as bicycle-pedestrian trails, sidewalks and crosswalks, through Transportation Alternatives calls for projects. Since 2014, more than $33 million has been awarded to 44 Safe Routes to School projects through Transportation Alternatives calls for projects.
Another element of ensuring safe trips to school is protecting students in crosswalks adjacent to schools. NCTCOG is working to develop regional guidance for the placement of crossing guards near campuses. NCTCOG has been awarded a $5 million federal grant to streamline and support the establishment of school crossing guards and improve driver awareness in school zones through technology applications. The planning grant will help NCTCOG collect and analyze data on current conditions and challenges and develop a crossing guard regional model.
Walk & Roll to School Day is led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, which is committed to helping communities champion safe, active trips to school for all students. In 2016, the organization began the Vision Zero for Youth initiative, promoting safety near schools and other places students typically walk and ride their bikes in an effort to eliminate fatal and serious traffic crashes.
More information about NCTCOG’s Walk & Roll to School Day efforts is available here.
About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and make joint decisions.
 
NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered on the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. For more information on the NCTCOG Transportation Department, visit www.nctcog.org/trans.
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