The number of kids walking to school dropped from over 50% to 11% since the 1960s

Fewer kids are walking to school now than they did decades ago — and that's largely due to unsafe pedestrian infrastructure, writes Evan Porter in an article for Upworthy.

"The number is at about 11% today, down from about half of all kids under 15 in the 1960s. Even more staggering, back then nearly 90% of kids who lived less than a mile from school would walk or bike on a daily basis."

Porter points to the experience of a YouTuber who attempted to walk from his childhood home to his elementary school and encountered a series of obstacles, including a lack of sidewalks, poison ivy and a crosswalk-less intersection. 

According to Porter, "Edinger’s journey racked up over 2 million views on YouTube and had people racing to the comments to weigh in. It quickly became apparent that this was not just an issue in Edinger’s hometown or even New Jersey." All over the country, the responsibility for building and maintaining sidewalks is relegated to private property owners, and low city budgets force cuts to essential infrastructure. Meanwhile, bigger and faster cars pose more danger, particularly to small children.

Porter concludes, "Getting more kids walking and biking to school will take a massive culture shift. Communities that are less hostile to pedestrians, schools that are close to the neighborhoods they serve, and yes, parents that train and trust their kids to do the walk on their own once they know the way."