Walking School Bus Program Feasibility in a Suburban Setting

A walking school bus (WSB), a group of children walking to school under adult supervision, has social, environmental, and public health benefits. Although WSBs may require a certain neighborhood density and street configuration to recruit and organize groups, our spatial analysis showed that when 20% of students living near their school join WSBs, those students could form an adequately sized WSB group. Our parent survey showed that about 40% of parents were likely to allow their children to walk to school if a friend accompanies them. Thus, we conclude that WSBs are feasible in a low-density suburban neighborhood setting.