Walk and Bike to School Colorado!
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) encourages schools across Colorado to participate in Walk to School Day (October) and Bike to School Day (May) each year. Walk and Bike to School Days are great opportunities to galvanize visibility for walking and bicycling to and from school. They are wonderful times to get kids out practicing their skills and safety rules and for parents and caregivers to experience how safe and fun it is for their child(ren) to walk and bike to and from school.
October is Colorado Pedestrian Month, making any day in 'Walktober' a great choice for promoting walking and walkability. Since 1997, communities have been gathering to celebrate the many benefits of walking safely to and from school. There is always an internationally promoted date, typically the first Wednesday in October.
May is National Bike Month (although Colorado celebrates it in June) and a great way for kids to end the year and head off to a summer of bicycling fun. Since Colorado began promoting the then newly created Bike to School Day in 2013, participation has steadily grown.
You walked, you wheeled, and you rolled on Walk and Roll Day and throughout Walktober in 2022, Colorado! We had a total of 109 registered events. Several of you shared that you planned celebrations on various days aside from the official date, and we love your initiative! No matter when, no matter how, this national event is meant to be FUN for EVERYONE, in the ways that work for you. Now, we're getting in motion for Walk and Roll Day, 2023, and we'd love to hear your plans!
Always register for Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day celebrations at WalkBiketoSchool.org, regardless of when you hold your festivities. There you will find many ideas and tips for promoting healthy activity and safe routes to school. Know, there is no one-size-fits-all way to celebrate. Events come in all sizes; the important thing is that they resonate with what families, schools, and communities care about, from encouraging physical activity and building community to highlighting the need for improved infrastructure. Walking school buses are a great opportunity for students to travel as a group, with pickup points that welcome those who live too far from home to get to school purely on foot. Always, keep safety at the core, and have fun!
Free Materials
This year, it was our pleasure to offer free Walk and Roll bookmarks, printed double-sided with English and Spanish sides, on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is our hope that we will be offering free stickers for distribution for Bike and Roll Day in the spring.
Downloadable Materials
Futures in Motion Banner (36 X 12)
Donation Request Guide
Customizable Donation Committee Letter Template
Donation Gift Certificate Template Suggestions
Customizable Donor Thank you Template
Customizable Tax Deductible Letter Template
The first National Bike to School Day took place on May 9, 2012, in coordination with the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Month. This special day has steadily grown in popularity, and is a perfect opportunity to celebrate biking and rolling in advance of Colorado Bike Month in June. In 2023, there were 81 registered Colorado Bike to School Day events throughout the state. This put us 4th in the nation among participating states!
All across Colorado and the nation, schools, neighborhoods, and families are stepping up to support safe, active transportation. Check out this blog post from Bicycle Colorado for more inspiration on ways communities celebrated and promoted bicycling Bike to School Day and beyond. Want to implement a community bike to school program? Get started with step-by-step instructions from our Safe Routes to School Bike Train resource from the Safe Routes Partnership. Ride on, Colorado!
Always, please visit walkbiketoschool.org to register any events you do plan, and for a wide range of fun downloadable activities.
Downloadable Materials
Futures in Motion Banner (36 X 12)
Donation Request Guide
Customizable Donation Committee Letter Template
Donation Gift Certificate Template Suggestions
Customizable Donor Thank you Template
Customizable Tax Deductible Letter Template
Check back here for more downloadable materials, including posters, as they become available!
