Israeli Parents Organize "Walking Bus" to Transport Schoolchildren

Walking Schoolbus in Missouri, USA
Walking Schoolbus in Missouri, USA

Groups of parents in the Israeli cities of Kiryat Ono, Raanana and elsewhere have organized “walking schoolbuses” to transport children to school in the mornings.

Elementary-school children walking to school used to be a common sight in Israel. But modernization has led large numbers of parents to take them in the car each morning. Recent campaigns warning against allowing children under 9 to cross the street alone have further discouraged walking.

Driving kids to school increases pollution, traffic and the risk of accidents, especially near the school where kids are dropped off. So parents in Kiryat Ono made up four walking routes and asked for volunteer parents to accompany the groups of first to third graders.

With a ratio of ten children to one adult, the Kiryat Ono “bus” travels as a group visible to drivers, aided by a school flag. The kids even receive kartisiyot, a bus pass that drivers, in this case parents, punch to record a fare.

The Kiryat Ono father interviewed on the radio mentioned an added bonus in addition to the exercise and fresh air: The chance to get to know your neighbors.

For more green parenting posts by Hannah Katsman see:
Keeping Baby Hydrated and Safe in Hot Weather
Urban Design: The Traffic Circle as a Space for Art

Related:
Will Israeli Workers Lose Their Leased Cars?
The Taga Hybrid Stroller-Bike For Streets and Stores

Photo Credit: MoBikeFed

Hannah Katsman
Hannah Katsmanhttps://www.greenprophet.com/
Hannah learned environmentalism from her mother, a conservationist before it was in style. Once a burglar tried to enter their home in Cincinnati after noticing the darkened windows (covered with blankets for insulation) and the snow-covered car in the driveway. Mom always set the thermostat for 62 degrees Fahrenheit (17 Celsius) — 3 degrees lower than recommended by President Nixon — because “the thermostat is in the dining room, but the stove’s pilot light keeps the kitchen warmer.” Her mother would still have preferred today’s gas-saving pilotless stoves. Hannah studied English in college and education in graduate school, and arrived in Petach Tikva in 1990 with her husband and oldest child. Her mother died suddenly six weeks after Hannah arrived and six weeks before the first Gulf War, and Hannah stayed anyway. She has taught English but her passion is parental education and support, especially breastfeeding. She recently began a new blog about energy- and time-efficient meal preparation called CookingManager.Com. You can find her thoughts on parenting, breastfeeding, Israeli living and women in Judaism at A Mother in Israel. Hannah can be reached at hannahk (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

Read More

4 COMMENTS

TRENDING

The Space Orchestra, and the search for extraterrestrial life, to eclipse celebration

The event will livestream eclipse views from Iceland and northern Spain, where the eclipse will be total, while the 35-member International Space Orchestra, made up of astronauts, scientists, engineers, and researchers—performs a new orchestral interpretation of Voyager by PJ Harvey.

Canada’s healthcare became the world’s digital health laboratory. Now Europe is taking notice

Canada's healthcare system may be under pressure, but its decades-long experience with digital transformation is becoming a model for Europe and beyond. In an interview with Nordic's Alison MacDonald, Green Prophet explores why successful AI in healthcare depends less on software than on empowering clinicians, improving workflows and building resilient systems.

Jewish Climate Network founded so innovators don’t leave their identity at the door

Rather than retreating from climate change work, the Jewish Climate Trust organization has backed a new initiative designed to strengthen both climate action and Jewish community.

The Hidden Components Powering the Renewable Energy Revolution

A rooftop solar system looks simple: panels, an inverter, a battery and a few cables. But beneath that simplicity lies a bill of materials thousands of lines long, where tiny current sensors, magnetic cores, gate drivers, capacitors and connectors quietly determine efficiency, safety and lifespan. These overlooked components—not the solar panels themselves—are why today's residential solar systems are smaller, smarter and far more reliable than those of a decade ago.

Teen Farmerettes were Canada’s answer to Victory Gardens during wartime food shortages

It is a wake-up call to teen girls on TikTok planning their next Coachella outfit or trip to Sephora: During the Second World War, thousands of young men left family farms to enlist, but the crops still needed planting and harvesting. Ontario's government answered by recruiting high school girls, from ages 16 to 18, to spend parts of spring, summer and fall to fill in for the labor shortage. 

The Essential Guide To Sustainability in Project Management

Sustainability is an approach where businesses and individuals balance the environmental, social, and economic aspects of a project such that current and future stakeholders are not overburdened with the impacts of the project in future.

Yerukim Forms a New Green Economy Where the Money is Really Green

The Yerukim members who pick up the recyclables get to keep the monetary reward, the public earns "green" bills that can be used in shops, and business owners get to be associated with environmentalism.

Choosing Riyadh over Dubai? What Investors Should Know

Saudi Arabia is deploying capital at unmatched scale to catalyze tourism and advanced industry while rewiring its power-and-water backbone. The investable frontier is widening—especially in renewables, grid storage, water efficiency/desal retrofits, and hospitality operating platforms. Prudent investors will insist on phased delivery, enforceable KPIs (energy, water, biodiversity), and RHQ/zone compliance—while pricing political-economy and reputational risks alongside growth upside.

Sell your cooking oil for biodiesel money

Want to make money on old french fry oil? Sell it.

Qatar Alternative Energy Summit Pairs Investors And Innovators

Alternative energy investors and innovators can meet n' greet in Doha, Qatar March 16 and 17.

Here’s How To Implement The Four Pillars Of Employee Engagement

If you throw a party for your work team and they are vegans, don't make it a barbecue. Know the sustainability values of your team to boost moral and retain good people.

Locals From Rishon Fight IKEA

Big Box stores are a pretty new concept in Israel, and thank God that not every Israeli city wants them in their backyard. A word from someone who has see the beautiful farmland around her hometown Newmarket, Ontario stripped and converted into vulgar strip malls of big box shops: they have no place in a healthy and sustainable town or city.

The Jewish National Fund Meets An Inconvenient Truth

According to the JNF, it has transformed thousands of acres of barren land into green forests in Israel. They state that each person emits about 23 tons of carbon per year, estimating that each tree planted can absorb one ton of carbon in its lifetime. That's a whole lot of trees you'd need to be planting. Could so many fit in Israel?

Popular Categories