In every county of Southern California, Pauline and I are witnessing a groundswell of support for Safe Routes to School. One of the key signs of this increasing interest is the creation of countywide coalitions formed around Safe Routes to School, healthy eating and active living.
Change is inevitable, it is said. It is how we choose to adapt to this change that is central in the New York Times bestseller “Who Moved My Cheese?” that eloquently describes our instinctual response to change through a parable about two mice and two mini-people whose cheese supply has been moved.
The Florida Safe Routes to School program is lucky to have Sarita Taylor. While she may be new to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Safety Office in Tallahassee, she is not new to Safe Routes to School. She brings an impressive history from FDOT District 1.
Since Safe Routes to School became a federally funded program, it has experienced tremendous support nationwide. Parents are encouraging more physically active lifestyles. Students are engaged in more walking and bicycling to school. Schools and local governments are establishing policies and infrastructure that enable safe walking and bicycling.
Another summer is behind us. My daughter is being reminded of what the world looks like at 7:00am as we implement a plan to get her back on a school schedule before the alarm clock rudely does its job on Tuesday, September 4.
This fall marks 20 years since I moved to California. I was born in Manhattan and grew up there and in New Jersey – learning important lessons about taking initiative and being direct - but I always had an eye toward the west and a fascination with the innovative ideas and policies that often originate in California and then go nationwide.