51,000 people, 0 buses. If that sounds like a typical person-to-bus ratio for a school district, then you must be from Lakewood, Ohio. The district has never in its history provided buses for its students (without special needs) and doesn’t seem like it ever will. With most students living within a mile from their classrooms, no one appears to mind, either. After all, the decision to keep the district bus-free saves it about $1,000,000 a year. Imagine if your local schools put an additional $1,000,000 to the kids actual education. It’s possible, just take a look at the video below.
Lakewood, OH: The Suburb Where Everyone Can Walk to School from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.
Of course, not every town has a layout that lends itself towards this sort of no bus policy–Lakewood is the densest community between New York and Chicago–but surely most can use it as inspiration to make their children a little more active and their home a little more green.
