Bike To School Day Encourages Kids To Try Alternative Commuting Options

DENVER (CBS4) - Students, staff, and parents at Lincoln Elementary School in Denver celebrated Bike to School Day on Monday. The national celebration was last Wednesday, but organizers rescheduled it because of snow last week.

Volunteers and parents set up obstacle courses, bike safety stations and a bike repair area for the morning and evening bike commute.
In the evening off-duty Denver police officers volunteered their time to close of streets in the area so Lincoln Elementary could move forward with their bike parade.

Way to Go, in conjunction with the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), promotes Bike to School Day in hopes of getting out the message that bike riding is a fun way to get around town.

MORE INFO: Smart Commute

They also encourage parents to consider biking to school with their kids. Way to Go believes healthy habits start with leading by example.

Way to Go believes getting kids to bike to school when they're young gives them a sense of independence and makes them more open to alternative commuting options when they're adults.

Way to Go says statistics show biking to and from school also helps get in more than half of the daily recommended activity for school-aged kids. They also say kids are more likely to perform better in school when they get the daily recommended activity.