PTA Council supports new walk-to-school campaign, saying it will reduce cars near schools

September 30, 2019

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Pelham Council of PTAs.

[Pelham, NY Oct. 1st, 2019—] The Pelham Council of PTA’s supports the new, “Walk-to-School” campaign that encourages all Pelham students to walk, or bike safely, to school.  Walking to school will decrease the amount of vehicles in and around schools making all children safer.

In an effort to assist long-term, the council has created a Pedestrian Safety committee consisting of PTA delegates from all six schools; the motto: “If you can walk or bike to school, please do!” The Pelham PTA Council challenges all community members (parents, care-givers, teachers, students, and businesses) to assist with this challenge.  Please help us identify unsafe school crossings on state and locally owned roads in the Pelhams and report your findings to: [email protected].

Additional ways to help, (which are supported by the NYS PTA in their “Where we stand” document” entitled: Identifying unsafe school crossings on state owned roads); https://nyspta.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/WHERE_WE_STAND_2017-FINAL-2.pdf), are by:

  1. Advocating for pedestrian safety improvements on behalf of our student population through education of pedestrians and drivers while decreasing the car traffic directly around Pelham schools
  2. Supporting the passage of legislation which would enable the Department of Transportation to expend funds on identified risk areas and for the purpose of erecting, maintaining and upkeep of traffic signals on state, county and local roads

To facilitate with this advocacy, the NYS PTA created the “Every Child Travels Safely” program https://nyspta.org/home/programs/everychild-travelssafely/ for communities and the “Safe Walking” program https://nyspta.org/home/programs/everychild-travelssafely/ for kids.

“Safe Routes to School” (SRTS), another safety program, advocates for policies promoting safe walking and cycling to and from school [and community recreational facilities]. http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/introduction/the_decline_of_walking_and_bicycling.cfm,

The Pelham Council of PTAs encourages every citizen to do all that you can to educate yourselves, and our youth, on safe traffic practices and then implement them in our community.

Please join us in these efforts!  If you can walk or bike to school, please do!