On April 27, 2006, children across Texas joined together to bike and walk to school. This was the first time the State of Texas dedicated a day to bicycling and walking to school. The event transformed the journey to school, reducing traffic and recapturing the days when children flooded the streets and sidewalks every morning. Special thanks to all the students, parents and teachers throughout Texas who participated and made the event a success!

Texas Bicycle Coalition plans to make Texas Bike & Walk to School Day an annual event each spring. The Coalition also encourages schools to participate in International Walk and Bike to School Day on October 4, 2006.

The Coalition focused its local staff efforts in the BikeTexas Safe Routes to School program region of north and west Texas. Staff members worked with volunteer parents and teachers at selected schools to coordinate and encourage students to bike and walk to school on April 27. In participating schools, teams of parents and volunteers also designated staging areas where students who live far from school could gather and join neighborhood children to take “bike trains” and “walking school buses” to school.

Turnout at schools in Amarillo, Fort Worth, Lubbock and Wichita Falls was especially high and the level of excitement from parents and students was very encouraging to all involved. Read more about the specific efforts in those regions by clicking below:

Amarillo
Fort Worth
Lubbock
Wichita Falls

Texas Bicycle Coalition made free materials and resources available to schools and parents through its website. The event was an important component of the organization’s BikeTexas Safe Routes to School program, which unites communities toward the common goal of establishing and maintaining safe, active and healthy lifestyles for children and safer, healthier communities for everyone.

Texas Governor Rick Perry demonstrated his concern for children’s health and safety and signed a proclamation which decreed Thursday, April 27, 2006, to be Bike & Walk to School Day in Texas. In part, the Governor’s proclamation states: “As families increase their levels of activity, one option they may wish to pursue is to encourage their children to bike or walk to school. Ensuring that children can do so safely requires parental, neighborhood and community-wide support. To increase awareness of this fitness option, April has been dedicated for an educational campaign.”