Last year’s Bike To School Day at Lea Elementary School
Safe Routes Philly has held a Bike To School Day event every year since 2012 – and 2016’s is set to be the biggest ever.
Safe Routes Philly, supported by the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health and a National Highway Safety Administration grant awarded to the Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems, works with schools around Philadelphia to promote biking and walking as fun, healthy forms of transportation in Philadelphia Elementary Schools.
Each year, Safe Routes Philly Coordinator Waffiyyah Murray works with numerous schools to help put together their Bike to School Days, in which students walk or bike to – and often at – school.
This year’s Bike To School Day is Wednesday, May 4, and takes place before the Elementary School Day, with some events occurring throughout the day on campus.
“Bike to School Day is growing and getting bigger and bigger every year,” says Waffiyyah Murray. “It shows just how SRP is reaching more schools and that more students are using cycling as fun healthy mode of transportation to and from school.”
Waffiyyah Murray (second from right) works with many schools and partners to pull off successful Bike To School events
There are 12 schools participating in Bike To School Day this year. Here’s a list of the schools participating around Philadelphia:
D. Newlin Fell Elementary School
Francis Willard Elementary School
G. W. Childs Elementary School
Henry C. Lea Elementary School
Loesche Elementary School
Meredith Elementary School
Andrew Hamilton Elementary School
Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School
Albert Greenfield Elementary School
James Sullivan
Northeast High School
Alexander Adaire Elementary School
Safe Routes Philly has the attention of many of the city’s leaders, as well. This year, Councilman Mark Squilla, of the city’s First District, will be attending Bike To School Day at Meredith Elementary School at 725 South 5th Street.