The first Let’s Go Walking! to School Day event went off without a hitch. The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) joined forces with Broward County Schools, the City of Miramar, and partners on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at Annabel C. Perry Pre-K-8 School to make history! The Let’s Go Walking! to School Day event is the merging of the annual Let’s Go Walking! held by the Broward MPO, which highlights complete streets, community assets, and promotes safe and active transportation, and the national Walk to School Day event.
Broward County Schools’ Superintendent Robert W. Runcie, Commissioner Yvette Colbourne, Principal Thomas J. Correll, Miramar Police Department, MPO Staff, and partners met hundreds of students and parents early Wednesday morning at various pick-up locations near Annabel C. Perry with a walking bus to walk with them along a safe route to the school. In preparation for the big the event, on the Monday prior, Broward MPO along with our partners, and Annabel C. Perry students and teachers painted various crosswalks and caution signs within a mile radius of the school as a tactical urbanism demonstration to make it safer for families in the neighborhood to walk. Principal Correll expressed interest in making the colorful and penguin inspired crosswalks permanent or semi-permanent to increase safety for students and reinforce healthy habits such as walking to school.
At the end of the walking route, participants were greeted by city officials with high fives and goodie bags donated from various local establishments. In his remarks upon completion of the walk, Superintendent Runcie reminisced on a tragic experience, when he was struck by a car at 7 years old. He stressed the importance of walking and the creation of safe routes and he is excited to have more Let’s Go Walking! to School events in Broward.
City Commissioner Yvette Colbourne remarked, “The safety of our students is very important. By temporarily highlighting the crosswalks we remind drivers that they are sharing the roadways with pedestrians. We also want to make it more exciting and a safer environment for our students who are walking to school. I’d like to thank everyone who worked on the event and to all attendees, I am elated by the turnout and the enthusiasm of all participants. The kids are excited, and they want to do it again next year.”
If you would like to see photos from the event, CLICK HERE.