A Walking Bus

This morning I read a great article in the New York Times about a town in Italy that set up “walking” buses for students to take to school. The premise of the “piedibus” is the same as its diesel, fume-belching cousin. There’s a driver (or I should say, walker), a predictable route and stops along the way. Benefits include fewer vehicle miles (the town estimates 100,000 so far), reduced carbon emissions, burned calories and increased awareness of street safety and the feasibility of walking over driving. I think something like this could really take off in Portland. Safe Routes to Schools has some guidance on how to get started. Now let’s get walking (or biking, or skating, or hopping)! See you on the street.