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
Author: Hannah Katsman
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.
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