North Texas Schools to Promote Student Health and Safety Oct. 7 with Walk & Roll to School Day

10/1/2026
 

 


PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Brian Wilson 
 (817) 704-2511 
bwilson@nctcog.org


Nearly 200 area schools plan to participate in annual event

Oct. 1, 2026 (Arlington, TEXAS) – The trip to school on Wednesday, Oct. 7 will be different for many elementary and middle school students across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Instead of riding the bus or being driven to school, they will use their legs. Almost 200 schools across the region are celebrating Walk & Roll to School Day, a national event held annually to remind students of the importance of staying active. Statewide, more than 280 schools will host Walk & Roll to School Day events, according to WalkBiketoSchool.org. 

Walk & Roll to School Day is led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School. From its founding in 1997 as a modest celebration, Walk & Roll to School Day has grown to include more than 2,600 events across the United States.

“It is encouraging to have such tremendous participation in Walk & Roll to School Day across the region and state,” said Shawn Conrad, program manager, land-use and mobility options, NCTCOG. “Walking can be a fun way for students to get to school. But the benefits run much deeper. Walking can lead to communities that are healthier and more connected.”

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The NCTCOG Transportation Department is offering the following resources and incentives to encourage involvement and the creation of fun, engaging experiences:

  • Walk & Roll to School Day planning and social media toolkits
  • Drawing for safety-themed giveaways for winning schools to hand out to students participating in Walk & Roll to School Day
  • Drawing for scooters/helmets for students at registered schools that complete a safety pledge

The Regional Transportation Council is committed to funding projects that improve safety near schools. Since 2014, the RTC has approved more than $40 million for nearly 50 Safe Routes to School projects through Transportation Alternatives calls for projects. This included three projects in 2025 worth a total of nearly $10 million.

The Safe Routes to School Regional Action Plan, adopted last year as part of Mobility 2050, provides a framework cities, school districts and communities can follow to create safer walking and biking paths for students. The plan encourages collaboration among local governments, school districts and transportation agencies to build a more sustainable and accessible school environment. 

 In 2024, the North Central Texas Council of Governments was awarded a $5 million federal grant through Safe Streets and Roads for All to improve safety for students who walk near high-injury roads on their way to school. The RTC approved an additional $1.25 million for the effort, meaning a total of $6.25 million has been directed toward Crossing Students Safely in the Dallas-Fort Worth Region (CroSS-DFW). The goal of CroSS-DFW is to develop coordinated, data‑driven systems for crossing guard implementation, student crossing safety and improving driver behavior in school zones. 

 More information about the NCTCOG Transportation Department’s Walk & Roll to School Day efforts is available here.

 About the Regional Transportation Council: 

The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) of the North Central Texas Council of Governments has served as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for regional transportation planning in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1974. The MPO works in cooperation with the region’s transportation providers to address the complex transportation needs of the rapidly growing metropolitan area. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties. The RTC’s 45 members include local elected or appointed officials from the metropolitan area and representatives from each of the area’s transportation providers. More information can be found at NCTCOG.org/rtc.  

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