Students from schools throughout the state will walk and bicycle to school on March 8 as part of the eighth annual Georgia Walk to School Day (gWalk). Organized by the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Resource Center, gWalk events emphasize the importance of pedestrian safety and bicycle safety, physical activity, concern for the environment, and building connections between families, schools, and the broader community.

Georgia Walk to School Day helps school communities achieve goals related to student well-being, public health, and safety, including:

• Enhancing health by increasing the amount of physical activity, especially through walking and biking to school
• Improving air quality by reducing automobile emissions in the school zone
• Making the streets safer by relieving traffic congestion and promoting pedestrian safety

“Georgia Walk to School Day continues to be a flagship spring event for SRTS. We have so many schools participate year after year and welcome all of the schools participating for the first time,” said Katelyn DiGioia, GDOTs SRTS coordinator. “The Georgia SRTS Resource Center website and School Outreach Coordinators have great materials and tools to make events a success.”