Walking to School in Loudoun: Going Well? Or Could the County Do Better?

Walking to school in the Loudoun County Public Schools system is nothing new, although the number of walkers grew this as the school board began enforcing the walking policy on the books. The move created savings by significantly reducing the number of buses used at some schools. Mill Run Elementary, for example went from 13 buses to four this year.

Some parents have noted a lack of crosswalks at some schools. 

Stone Bridge High School has no sidewalk along its Portsmouth Boulevard border, causing some students to cross that four-lane road twice. Three roads around the school are four-lane roads, and readers have shared pictures of students running in front of cars. A student was struck in February while crossing Claiborne Parkway at a crosswalk.

Then this past week, two students were struck by a school bus on the way to Belmont Ridge Middle School.

Are safety mechanisms adequate or should the school system take some sort of action to improve safety for walking students? Is it just a matter of better cooperation? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.