AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin held an event Wednesday in honor of National Walk and Bike to School Day.

Parents and students were invited to participate by walking or biking from the Twin Oaks Branch Library to Becker Elementary starting at 7 a.m.

The city has in place a program, called Safe Routes to School, dedicated to helping kids make it to school safely on foot, by bikes, or other modes of micro-transit.

  • City of Austin participates in National Walk and Roll to School Day 2023
  • City of Austin participates in National Walk and Roll to School Day 2023
  • City of Austin participates in National Walk and Roll to School Day 2023

KXAN’s Blake DeVine spoke to the program’s education manager, Rhonda Bolick, about Wednesday’s event.

Bolick said the event encourages exercise and helps cut back on pollution and traffic for a day.

Bolick said it also provides an opportunity to teach children and parents about safe practices when it comes to commuting by foot.

“We encourage them to walk but we want them to do it safely, so we’re talking to them about using corners, cross-walks, and traffic lights, not jaywalking, we want them to look in all directions before crossing, we encourage them to use crossing-guards,” Bolick explained.