OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — More than 250,000 students across the country will be participating in the annual Walk To School Day, including many local districts are taking part.
One of the reasons behind this event is to promote exercise and physical activity.
"The CDC says kids need about 60 minutes, or an hour, of physical activity every day, and we know everyone's so busy," Johnson County Health and Environment Program Manager Megan Foreman said. "So it's really nice when you can get a little bit of that physical activity doing something that you already have to do, which is go to a fun school."
The city of Overland Park and Prairie Village worked together, along with the Shawnee Mission School District, to create a safer route along 95th and Roe to and from school.
“Over 100 kids have to navigate that intersection to walk or bike to school every day and this was really a testament to partnerships. We were able to install a safe zone, which slows traffic in that intersection,” Foreman said. “The city's repainted the crosswalks there so it's more visible to drivers and they hired a crossing guard to make sure that traffic really slows down and drivers are cautious and kids also are learning safe habits like looking both ways.”
Students will be walking between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Drivers are urged to use extra caution.
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