International Walk to School Day

Urbana elementary schools are looking forward to participating in Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 5, 2011. Students, parents and staff will be walking as a group to promote safe and improved streets, healthier habits and cleaner air.

Walk to School Day is organized by the C-U Safe Routes to School Project, a community based organization with representatives from the CU Mass Transit District, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, Champaign-Urbana engineering and law enforcement, Champaign-Urbana School Districts, local health agencies, bike clubs and more. By raising awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made, the project aims to make walking and bicycling to school safe and appealing for children. Visit http://cu-srtsproject.com for more information about the program.

Elementary schools throughout the district will be participating in many ways. Students who ride the bus will be dropped off at a designated meeting area, and schools encourage parents who drive their children to park and walk a few extra blocks as well. In order to help direct traffic, the Urbana Police Department will have an officer stationed at each school building.

For a detailed schedule of each school’s events, see below*:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (1108 W. Fairview Urbana): School starts at 8:10. Car riders can be dropped at Perkins & walk; bus students will be dropped a few blocks from school and walk; parent breakfast following.


• Leal Elementary (312 W. Oregon Urbana): School starts at 8:05. Special Guest: Council Member Charlie Smyth.


• Prairie Elementary (2102 E. Washington Street Urbana): School starts at 8:15. All students will be dropped at Church on SE corner of Washington & Kinch and walk.


• Thomas Paine Elementary (1801 James Cherry Dr. Urbana): School starts at 7:50. Buses will drop at Kinch & Florida and meet other students to walk to school.


• Wiley Elementary(1602 S. Anderson St. Urbana): School starts at 8:10. Assemble at corner of Pennsylvania & Anderson starting at 7:55 then parade to school flagpole for Pledge of Allegiance.


• Yankee Ridge Elementary (2102 S. Anderson St. Urbana): School starts at 8:15. Special Guest: Diane Marlin, City of Urbana.

*All times and locations are tentative and subject to change.

Please contact the school building with any questions. For more information about International Walk to School Day, as well as each school’s planned activities, visit: http://www.walktoschool.org/who/seecity.cfm?st=IL&city=Urbana.

Information provided by the Urbana School District.