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International Walk to School Week --- October 3--7, 2005
October 3--7, 2005, has been designated International Walk to School Week. The week enables children,
parents, teachers, and community leaders to be part of a global event celebrating the benefits of walking and the need to
create communities that are safe for pedestrians. In 2004, approximately 3 million walkers in 36 countries observed
the weeklong event by walking to school.
CDC supports International Walk to School Week and walking and bicycling to school year-round through Safe
Routes to School (SR2S) programs.
KidsWalk-to-School is a community-based SR2S program that encourages walking
and bicycling to school. As part of the program, communities build partnerships with schools, police officers, public
works agencies, public officials, businesses, and civic associations to create an environment that supports safe and active travel
to school. The program was developed in response to low rates of walking, inadequate physical activity levels, and a
300% increase in the proportion of overweight children since the early 1970s.
In 2005, Congress passed a transportation bill that
includes $612 million in funds for SR2S programs to
enhance safety for children walking or bicycling to school. State departments of transportation will administer the program,
and communities will be able to use the funds to make infrastructure improvements near schools (e.g.,
removing road hazards, slowing traffic, building sidewalks, and creating walking trails) and enhance safety through enforcement and
education programs.
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Health and Human Services.References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
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endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of
the date of publication.
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