Walk & Wheel Week promotes healthy habits Posted by Kimberly Jacobson | May 09, 2012 | 320 views

School leaders are hoping their buses and parking lots will be a little less full this week.

A fun — and friendly — competition between Island View and Mount Erie elementary schools is encouraging students and staff to use their bodies to get to school during Walk and Wheel Week.

“It’s a great way to combat childhood obesity and let kids know we care. Plus, it’s going to be a lot of FUN!” Jayne Branch, district volunteer coordinator, said in an e-mail to volunteers.

Walk and Wheel Week is the “encouragement” piece of Safe Routes to Schools, which aims to make it safer for kids to walk and bike to school. Anacortes last year was awarded a $675,000 grant for street upgrades, education and enforcement.

The current grant funding includes $620,000 for engineering, $33,000 for education and $22,000 for enforcement.

The engineering money will be used primarily to make the intersections at 22nd Street and M Avenue and 32nd Street and M Avenue safer, as well as sidewalks along I Avenue and 29th Street between M and J avenues. I Avenue will be changed to a one-way street.

An open house to learn more about the projects is 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday in the council chambers at City Hall.