By Kimberly Fong
Dina Weinstein, a Parent Leadership Training Institute
graduate, remembers a time during her childhood when majority of kids
from her Massachusetts neighborhood walked or biked to school. Fast
forward to Miami-Dade County in 2012 where the roads are heavily
trafficked with cars and the streets are less pedestrian-friendly.
Florida has one of the highest numbers of injuries and fatalities due to
children being hit by cars. Most parents cite safety issues as one of
the primary reasons they are reluctant to allow their children to walk
to school. The desire to change this reality inspired Dina to initiate a
Bike and Walk to School Day that advocates alternative transportation
for children going to and from school as her final project for PLTI.
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Dina
has encountered a number of issues in building this movement. Parent
advocates are challenged by having to navigate through Miami's multiple
levels of power, bouncing back and forth, and not being sure whom they
should speak to. In addition, the roads in Miami belong to 35
governments--municipalities, counties, state or federal--which amplifies
the obstacles and idiosyncrasies. Bike lanes, pedestrian cross walks,
road crossing martials, and reduced speed limits are a few of the
incentives needed for families to bike or walk to school.