Campaign to get kids walking, biking to school to fight global warming

Advocates of a Marin campaign to get more kids walking and biking to school are expanding their initiative, fueled by a $175,000 grant to combat global warming.

The new Greenways to School campaign is set to launch later this month, piggy-backing off the successful Safe Routes to Schools program.

“We want to find those green ways for students to get to school,” said Wendi Kallins, head of the Safe Routes program, who is putting together the Greenways campaign. “That could be by bikes, walking, carpool or bus.”

One of the key features of the program will be an online SchoolPool to build a communications network that would help deliver children to school. A Web site will launch later this month.

That effort is modeled after employee rideshare programs; SchoolPool will provide parents with match-lists of schoolmates who live along their routes to Marin schools. They can then form a carpool, walk or bike together, or find bus buddies for their children.

Marin Independent Journal