Courtesy of Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou
Greetings from Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou (PaC-MAN)! We recently interviewed a local fourth-grader who chooses to walk to Manitou Springs Elementary School each day. Here is their perspective (they want to be anonymous) as well as a few words of encouragement asking other students to do the same.
And if you drive, please remember the following 2022 national dates: Wednesday, May 4, is Bike to School Day and Wednesday, Oct. 5, is Walk to School Day. We ask that you look for road users of all sizes, types and shapes every day to yield when pedestrians are using crosswalks.
Please remember that sometimes school children can be harder to notice, and we ask that you slow down and drive with awareness.
As the Colorado Department of Transportation asks in its Left Behind campaign, which aims to decrease the number of pedestrian crashes in Colorado, “Please drive safe and watch for pedestrians” so that we may all get home safely. Information: tinyurl.com/CDOTsafety.
Thank you.
How long have you been a resident and why did your family choose to live in Manitou?
I’ve lived here my whole life. My family wanted to live near the mountains.
What are the pros/cons of walking to school in Manitou?
Pros: I live close to the school so it’s the easiest way to get there. I’ve actually only been driven to school twice, so I don’t really know any other way. A friend in my class who lives in my neighborhood has recently started walking home with me. It’s fun to have a friend to talk with on the way home. Sometimes I walk with other parents and kids, too. It’s a good way to get to know people in my community.
Cons: There is a lot of traffic and it’s normally very cold in the mornings.
What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your walking to school experience?
One of my parents walks me across Manitou Avenue in the morning to make sure that I get across safely. If there was a crossing guard at the intersection of Manitou Avenue and Pawnee, I could walk to school by myself. Something that would be really cool would be a tube that transports kids up the hill to the school (Pawnee) and a giant slide on the library lawn to get back down to Manitou Avenue.
What advice would you give someone who would like to try walking to MSES but doesn’t know where to start or have much time?
If you live in downtown Manitou Springs, it might even take less time to walk than it does to drive to the school. Try meeting up with other kids or families in your neighborhood and walk together. I would walk with other kids who have never done it before, so they know what to do. Talk to your parents and neighbors and make a plan.
What do you think would increase the number of kids walking to MSES?
“If you see her, you can be her” mentality. Being inspired by other kids who walk to school would inspire others to do it, too.
What other form(s) of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like?
I also ride a bike and a scooter. Using these modes of transportation is fun and good exercise. I also use the Manitou shuttle sometimes and ride in cars when my family goes on long trips and when we go places outside of Manitou.