Monta Vista Hopes for Foot Traffic Not Car Traffic

Known in town as the tri-school area, the area around Monta Vista High School is also known as a daily morning traffic headache. Wednesday the 8th annual MVHS Bike/Walk to School Day may spell relief, if just for that morning.

More than 1,000 Monta Vista High School students typically participate each year, and organizers hope the same or more will join in this year.

The tri-school area, which includes Monta Vista, Kennedy Middle School and Lincoln Elementary School, is a focus area for , a grassroots group of locals that is trying to reduce congestion in the area and supports implementing a shuttle system. A fourth school, nearby De Anza College, also contributes to pollution and traffic congestion.

But for the morning of May 2 between 7:30 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. those Monta Vista students who arrive to school on foot, bicycle, scooter, or bus, will be contributing to the group’s cause. In the process participating students will also receive a raffle ticket as they approach campus, which will get them a free healthy breakfast and enter them into a drawing for prizes such as an iPad.

Additionally, the fifth period class with the highest participation in the event gets a pizza party.

“The event started back in 2005 because of the concern over traffic congestion, pollution, increase concern for physical fitness to reduce problems of obesity and concerns for the environment as there are four major schools in the nearby vicinity,” said Barbara Nishimoto, event chair. “The event promotes eco-friendly means of transportation to and from school and our goal is to have students incorporate this in their daily lives.”

Donations to support the event came from , which donated five cases of bananas, and , which will donate the end of the day bagels. Cupertino’s Public Safety Commission gave a grant of up to $1,000 that will pay for more food for the breakfast.

Other contributors include the Parent Teacher Student Association, and a variety of private donations by parents, Nishimoto said.

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