Community Rolls Out for Bike Safety

John N.C. Stockton Elementary, along with 1,800 other schools across the nation, participated in the 13th Annual National Bike & Roll to School Day May 8. The event is designed to spotlight the joys and benefits of active travel to school while drawing attention to the need for safe, accessible school commutes.

More than 65 students, parents and community members met at the corner of Avon Lane and Carlisle Road to bike or walk the quarter mile to the school.  Two Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers lead the group, directing traffic and encouraging bike safety.

John N.C. Stockton Elementary has about 165 students who are within walking or biking distance of the school. 

“My wife and I walked because the neighborhood school is so important to us. Generations have attended the school, and it truly gives us a sense of community,” said Barry Willis, Ortega Forest resident.

“National Bike & Roll to School Day provides a springboard for communities aiming to prioritize safe spaces for walking, biking and rolling,” said Nancy Pullen-Seufert, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School.