'Walk and roll' gives pupils a ride on their feet

OLYMPIA — Every Wednesday, in sneakers, on bikes, and occasionally with pets, the "walking bus" strolls through Denise Pantelis' and Paul Brewster's neighborhood northeast of Olympia's Pioneer Elementary School.

Pantelis and Brewster are among the parents behind the program, one part of the school's participation in a regional effort called "Walk and Roll," which encourage families to find alternatives to driving.

Families organize the night before to arrange for one Pioneer family to start the route and walk through their neighborhood, picking up students and parents along the way to the school. When the group reaches Henderson Boulevard, the entire "bus," which can number two dozen or more students from grades kindergarten through fifth, crosses at once.

"I think some parents have the idea that driving is more convenient," Brewster said. But parents involved in the walking bus say that walking is less hectic than driving, allows for more conversation, and children arrive at school more alert because of the 10 minutes of exercise before they reach school.

"We really want to reach the elementary-age students," said Brewster, an associate planner with the Thurston Regional Planning Council. "By the time they reach high school, they develop their habits, and we want them to know that there are buses, bikes and walking. There are alternatives to having your parents drive you everywhere."

"In our neighborhood, there's no reason for kids not to walk to school," Pantelis said. "We have not only Pioneer, but Washington Middle School and Olympia High School are also within walking distance."

Some parents feel more secure knowing their children are navigating the neighborhood and crossing the streets with other children and adults, Pioneer Principal Chris Woods said.

Some families who do not let their children walk to school alone allow them to walk with the group.

The walking bus is just one of the programs that Pioneer uses to encourage alternatives to cars. The school has monthly competitions between classrooms, participates in the Intercity Transit bicycle-commuter competition, and educates families on bicycle safety and safe walking routes, Woods said.

Two other Olympia elementary schools, Madison and Roosevelt, also have been participating in the Walk and Roll program, organized by the Thurston Regional Planning Council, Intercity Transit, the city and school district.

Pantelis said it can take some effort to organize the Wednesday-morning walks. She said that on other days, some families walk together in a less-formal way.

It is important for parents to go along for the walk, she said, to make sure the "walking bus" makes it to school.

"Sometimes, the kids stop and talk and you need to move it along," she said.