Save the Date: Walk to School Day Oct. 8

It is International Walk to School Day on Oct. 8, and all Reston elementary schools are encouraging participation in the annual event.

This is the third straight year Reston schools, plus Langston Hughes Middle School, have engaged in the friendly competition to see who can get the most kids to school on two feet.

Fairfax County Public Schools in general are encouraging students to participate “as an effort to promote physical activity and reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools.”

The percentage of students walking and bicycling to school declined from 48 percent in1 969 to 13 percent in 2009, says the non-profit Safe Routes to School, which organizes the event. The increased number of Kiss & Ride users has clogged traffic conditions around many schools and has made it more difficult for student walkers and bicyclist to get to school, the group said.

Want to get involved at your school? Visit the Reston page on Walk to School Day’s website to see who is coordinating your neighborhood route.

Photo: Bike to School Day in Reston/file photo