Why Kids Can't and Won't Walk to School in Laguna Beach

Getting kids to walk to school has been a nationwide campaign for years. But some places say it's just not safe. Some urban forms -- like that of Laguna Beach, California -- prove it.

1 minute read

October 20, 2010, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


NRDC's Kaid Benfield takes a look at the affluent city, its schools and why walking is not exactly the best option. But the schools themselves aren't doing much to counteract their own auto-dependence.

Referring to a picture of the school grounds, Benfield notes that "the sidewalk actually stops at the school entrance, guaranteeing that any kid who dares to walk to school will find herself immediately in the path of motor vehicles. And that definitely would not be a good thing: parents' traffic at Thurston, chauffering kids to and fro, has apparently gotten so heavy and unwieldy that the school has posted a flyer full of sternly worded cautionary rules and a complicated-looking traffic flow map."

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 in NRDC Switchboard

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