Walk Our Children to School Day Proclamation

As the Council Liaison to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, I seek your support of the Advisory Board's request that the Town proclaim October 4, 2000, as "Walk Our Children to School Day" to coincide with the first International Walk to School Day.

Walk-to-School events throughout the world are creating powerful partnerships for change. The idea is for children, parents and community leaders to walk to school together with a purpose - to promote safety, health, physical activity and concern for the environment. The ultimate goal is to create a more walkable world - community by community. And it is especially important that the safety of our children is addressed by making walking safer in our community. Each year, an estimated 5,700 pedestrians are killed -- one out of seven of those are children.*

To maximize this opportunity to raise awareness of pedestrian needs and safety in Chapel Hill, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board invites the members of the Chapel Hill Town Council, Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board, representatives of the Town of Chapel Hill departments, and all others from our greater community to participate and see first hand the successes, opportunities and challenges faced by Chapel Hill pedestrians.

A member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (Dorothy Verkerk) would take the lead to organize the event. Promotional flyers would be distributed that include a "walkability checklist" for participants to complete and return to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board. Information from the returned checklists would then be shared with the Town Council and staff.

I urge the Council to adopt the attached proclamation, as well as a resolution authorizing Town staff support for copying informational flyers and a maximum of $500 to publicize the event in local newspapers.

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, hundreds of children could be saved from injury each year if every community takes steps to make pedestrian safety a priority; and

WHEREAS, parents and caregivers should teach children about pedestrian safety and become aware of the difficulties and dangers that children face on their trip to school each day; and

WHEREAS, community leaders and parents should determine the "walkability" of their community by using the Walkable America Checklist; and

WHEREAS, everyone should make a plan to make immediate changes to increase the safety of children and others who are walking in our communities and a list of suggestions for improvements that can be done over time; and

WHEREAS, children, parents and community leaders are joining together nationwide to walk to school and evaluate pedestrian safety in their community.

NOW THEREFORE, I, Rosemary I. Waldorf, Mayor of the Town of Chapel Hill do hereby proclaim October 4, 2000 to be

in Chapel Hill and encourage all citizens to consider and improve the safety of pedestrians today and everyday.

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND
THE SEAL OF THE TOWN OF
CHAPEL HILL ON THIS THE
ELEVENTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER,
TWO THOUSAND.

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MANAGER TO PROVIDE STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE "WALK OUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL DAY" AND TO PUBLICIZE THIS EVENT IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS (2000-09-11/R-15)

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has proclaimed October 4, 2000 as "Walk Our Children to School Day."

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to provide staff support for copying informational flyers, and authorizes a maximum of $500 to be used to publicize the event in local newspapers.

* Source: Official Website for Walk Our Children to School, maintained by Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, a program of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center in cooperation with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.