Glendale students participate in Walk to School Day

Glendale students met their classmates at parks near their schools and walked to campus with adult chaperones before classes on Wednesday as part of International Walk to School Day.

Events such as these that draw adults and children out of cars and onto the streets may help drivers in vehicles become more aware of pedestrians and bicyclists, leading to a significant change in behavior surrounding transportation, said Tom Lorenz, city spokesman.

“It’s changing the cultural behavior behind mobility,” he said. “Society has become so dependent on the vehicles for mobility. If we can have higher frequency of people walking and bicycling, the lower the risk we will have when it comes to safety issues.”

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The city recently launched a website, GlendaleWalks.com, to inform residents about the city’s focus on improving the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in Glendale.

The initiative involves promoting safe walking and bicycling at public events and reaching out to Glendale’s entire population to educate them on safety while walking, driving or taking another mode of transportation.

There’s also an effort to help educate senior citizens, “who are disproportionately affected by pedestrian accidents in the community,” according to the city’s website.

The website also features an educational page listing tips for drivers, particularly as they drive near local schools.

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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan

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