HILO — Forty years ago, nearly 90 percent of children living near school either walked or rode their bike to class.
That number has dwindled.
It’s a problem Safe Routes to School — a nationwide health and wellness initiative — wants to change.
On Monday, it held an informational workshop at Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School in Hilo aimed at introducing community members to the program and vetting strategies to encourage more kids to opt for school transportation via foot or bike.
About a dozen people, including school employees and transportation and health officials, attended the all-day workshop. The event included observing school dismissal and a walk-through of Kapiolani’s grounds to explore ways the elementary can increase its pedestrian and bike safety.
It was the first of several workshops scheduled around the state. Another is slated for Wednesday in Kapaau.
“Where it’s safe for kids to walk or bike to school, we want to encourage it,” said Tina Clothier, Safe Routes to School coordinator for Hawaii County. “Because their health is impacted by that physical activity — (for example) our diabetes rates are through the roof. And where it’s not safe, we want to work together as a community to make it safe.”
Safe Routes to School says walking and biking to school boosts academic performance, gives kids much-needed exercise and improves their overall well-being.
The program got started in Hawaii about two years ago, Clothier, said. It operates through multiple means of funding, including federal funds — managed by the state Department of Transportation — and special funds generated by traffic infraction revenue.
Money helps fund improvements to make schools more bike and pedestrian friendly, Clothier said, for example installing flashing lights in school zones.
Safe Routes to School has gained traction in Hawaii since it got started, Clothier said, and she now wants to see more island schools develop implementation plans of their own.
“The key message is Safe Routes to School is a community-based planning tool,” she said. “It’s centered around the school, and it incorporates input from the school. It needs champions in each school, the community and the state. So it’s a collaborative effort.
“It’s about, ‘How do we make it safer for our kids to walk or bike to school?’” she continued. “Because like anything else, it takes a village. You got to bring everyone into the process.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.