Olympia City Council proclaims October as Walk to School Month 

On Tuesday, the Olympia City Council signed a proclamation designating October 2024 as Walk to School Month.  

The proclamation highlighted the benefits of walking and rolling to school, including improved health, reduced traffic congestion, and better air quality.  

Olympia has set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, which requires reducing vehicle miles traveled. To support this, the city constructs sidewalks, crosswalks, and pathways to help students safely walk and roll to school.  

This aligns with the city's proclamation recognizing October as Walk to School Month. The proclamation encourages families, school staff, and community leaders to support walking and rolling to school as a fun, safe, and healthy way for children to get to destinations in their neighborhoods. 

Kerry Wilson, who supervises Intercity Transit's Walk and Roll program, said the program's mission is to increase independence, improve safety, and inspire a healthy lifestyle by making walking, biking, rolling, and riding public transit more accessible to people in the community.  

"These events increase safety, build community, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the air quality around schools by encouraging families to consider walking and biking to school instead of driving," Wilson said. "It also provides students an opportunity to learn and practice pedestrian safety skills and to build some physical activity into their day." 

Olympia School District Superintendent Patrick Murphy mentioned their partnership with the city and the Intercity Transit for the Walk and Roll to School program. He said he has personally walked with students to school and noted that having police officers and firefighters participate makes the events extra special for the students and families.  

The school district has also collaborated with the Thurston Regional Planning Council over the past few years to create school walking route maps that are posted on their website.

These maps provide resources to support safe walking and rolling to school.  

Murphy also mentioned the school district's recent capital levy, which included funding set aside to improve biking and walking routes. The district will work collaboratively with the city to implement these routes.