JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Department of Transportation is pleased to join the National Center for Safe Routes to School and the League of American Bicyclists in the first-ever National Bike to School Day on May 9, 2012.

The inaugural National Bike to School Day is the first opportunity for communities across the country to join together to bicycle to school on the same day.

"Events such as this help children and adults discover how easy and safe it is to use local bicycle and pedestrian resources," said Jeff Cremer, MoDOT Safe Routes to School Coordinator. "A bit of exercise before and after school can also help promote physical fitness."

National Bike to School Day is based on the Walk to School Day model. Walk to School Day was founded in 1997 as a way to bring community leaders and children together to build awareness for communities to be more walkable. The one-day event has now grown to a month-long celebration. In 2011, students and parents from more than 4,000 U.S. schools joined millions of Walk to School Day and Month participants worldwide. The reasons for walking have grown just as quickly as the event itself.

Bike to School Day event registration is free and available to individuals and/or organizations planning a 2012 Bike to School Day event in the United States. Events that register at www.walkbiketoschool.org will appear on the site as "Bike to School Day Pioneers." Registering a Bike to School Day event provides organizers access to a variety of downloadable materials, including stickers, certificates, badges and classroom activities and the opportunity to win a bike rack.

The National Center also launched a redesigned website - www.walkbiketoschool.org - to support walking and biking to school every day. The website includes Bike to School Day and Walk to School Day event planning resources as well as a GIS-powered mapping tool. Map-a-Route helps users create and share bicycling or walking routes to school with easy-to-use maps.

For more information on bike and walk to school activities in the United States, visit http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/.

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About the National Center for Safe Routes to School
Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists states and communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center serves as the information clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Part of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, the National Center  also provides technical support and resources and coordinates online registration efforts for U.S. Walk to School Day and facilitates worldwide promotion and participation. For more information, visit http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/.

About the League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle?friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit http://www.bikeleague.org/.