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Educating the Student Body
BOX 6-2 
Examples of “Walking School Bus” Programs
The Safe Passage program in Chicago, a comprehensive initiative designed to help 
keep children safe on their way to and from school, includes a “walking school 
bus” program (see http://www.cps.edu/Programs/Wellness_and_transportation/
SafetyandSecurity/SafePassage/Documents/SafePassageGuide.pdf [accessed 
February 1, 2013]). To further improve children’s safety, military veterans have been 
enlisted to escort the children, on the assumption that their training enables early 
detection of any crime-related problems along the way to school (http://www.npr.
org/2013/02/15/172130142/checking-in-on-chicago-schools-safe- passage-program 
[accessed February 1, 2013]). “Walking school bus” programs also have been 
undertaken in Columbia, Missouri (http://activelivingbydesign.org/communities/
featured-community/albd-sustainability-columbias-walking-school-bus [accessed 
February 1, 2013]), and in Cleveland, Ohio (http://activelivingbydesign.org/com-
munities/featured-community/clevelands-schools-are-taking-walking-school-bus 
[accessed February 1, 2013]).
Many resources are available to schools and communities that are interested in 
starting a “walking school bus” program. See the following websites:
Summary
In summary, active transport to and from school can be a safe and 
effective way to increase students’ daily physical activity, especially where 
a large proportion of students live close to their school. Increasing the 
proportion of children who walk or bike to school commonly requires 
collaboration among school personnel, public safety officials, city officials, 
parents, and school district representatives, as well as the funding necessary 
to address the factors and policies listed in Table 6-4.