The Importance of Child Care Within Walking Distance
In honor of International Walk to School Day, we're going to look at a post from Minnesota's Twin Cities about what you might call Wouldn't It Be Great If You Could Walk Your Kid to Preschool Day.
Streetsblog Network member Net Density makes the excellent point that for parents of preschool-age children, having child care within a quarter-mile of their homes can be the make-or-break factor in whether they choose an active commute (by foot, bike, or transit).
After some impressive number-crunching, the blog's author comes up with the conclusion that only between 13 and 16 percent of people in Minneapolis-St. Paul live within that distance of adequate child care options. Which makes for a planning challenge:
Most people don’t make housing decisions based on child careaccess, so depending on what you can afford, and where you want tolocate, good child care access may or may not be available in your area.
So as planners and policy makers trying to leverage the multiplebenefits of a non-auto commute (health, environmental, social), whatrole do we have in trying to improve this access? Or, in other words,how can we address this barrier and allow more people to get active? What tools can we use to do so?
Anyone out there want to step forward with some ideas? We're listening.
More from the network: Cincy Streetcar Blog has an excellent photo essay that makes a case against Issue 9, an anti-passenger rail initiative on the ballot in that city this fall. Bicycle Ambassadors demonstrates some justified pride about Philadelphia's bike commute numbers. And Portlandize takes on the question of who pays for bike infrastructure -- and auto infrastructure.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Adams Offers Bare Minimum to Seize Congestion Pricing’s ‘Space Dividend’ Opportunity
The mayor's list of projects supposedly meant to harness congestion pricing's expected reduction in traffic is mostly old news, according to critics.
OPINION: Congestion Pricing Will Help My Family Get Around As We Navigate Cancer Treatment
My partner was recently diagnosed with cancer. Congestion pricing will make getting her to treatment faster and easier.
EXCLUSIVE: OMNY Debuts on Fair Fares After Delays
The long-awaited Fair Fares expansion will launch as a three-month pilot for a few dozen riders.
