With another year of record high temperatures, climate change has never been more apparent. Dubai reached a high of 144 degrees Fahrenheit, and Las Vegas reached 120 degrees for the first time in history. To bring awareness to the more climate friendly commuting options (as opposed to driving a car), Evanston Township High School held a “Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day.”
On October 18, 2024, any student that walked, took the bus, or biked to school could receive a free breakfast between 730-830. The breakfast options included bagels, croissants, muffins, apple juice, yogurt, and more. The event also had a raffle where students could win a bike lock.
“[This event] is a climate thing, and it’s also an accessibility thing … it’s so many topics.” Organizer of the event, Erin Claeys, said.
“Definitely climate is a big part of it, though. We’re all aware that driving a car everywhere is not great for the environment, so if we can make things like walking, biking, or taking the bus easier for people, that would also be better,” they continued.
For freshman Calvin Pence, who started biking to school a few years ago, biking is more than just a way to get around.
“I think [people] should walk and bike to school more because it helps [people] get exercise. For me, I really started enjoying it in the mornings– It’s also way better for the environment to drive less.” he said
Though Pence’s choice to bike to school hasn’t made any direct impact on his life, he understands the broader benefits of choosing this method of transportation.
“I haven’t noticed any [changes] right on the nose, but I know that there are definite correlations between carbon dioxide and climate change” he said.
He also made mention of the hurricanes in Florida– hurricanes which most likely would not be happening if it weren’t for the climate crisis.
“I try to do what I can to reduce [emissions],” said Pence.
Claeys elaborated on the purpose of the event, mentioning that this was a great opportunity to get some feedback on Evanston’s public transportation system. Two students taking a survey mentioned that one issue was with the bus schedule. According to the freshmen, there is little to no reliability with the Ventra app, nor with the Chicago Transit Authority’s listed daily itinerary, which is the average time of arrival for [the bus.]
One noted the gap is sometimes upward of 15 minutes, with the bus coming anywhere from 7 minutes early to 10 minutes late. The other added on, saying it’s not an uncommon experience to be waiting at the stop for 20 minutes. Some of the Pace bus routes that service ETHS are the 208 and the 213. As for the Chicago Transit Authority, there is the 93 and the well known 206 Evanston circulator.
The 206 is built to go around the entirety of Evanston, and is very commonly used by Evanston Township High School students. It stops directly in front of the school, and the stops are thoroughly distributed throughout the city. While the accessibility is nice– in that aspect– there are many other flaws with the circulator. For example, the bus’s schedule centers on peak commuting hours only, which negatively impacts those commuting for extracurriculars, as well as many students who take the bus during late start or early dismissal days, among other things.
Pence, who bikes just over 2 miles each direction, touched on his experience with biking to school “I think ETHS does a pretty good job with bike safety,” he went on to say “it’s more the city of Evanston, I think that if [the city] put in proper bike lanes and added a few more safety measures, everything would be so much better.”
Chemistry teacher and girls cross country coach, Gedion Yitref, commented on his experiences walking to and from school. “ I would like to see more well lit four way stops, because it gets really dangerous when I walk on Lake, especially Lake and Asbury,” stated Yitref. He continued, explaining that there have been far too many incidents due to this lighting issue “ I’ve almost been hit multiple times, and I’ve heard of students getting hit by cars. I just want visibility, so it’s safe, really.”
Sarah FioRito, transportation and mobility coordinator for the city of Evanston, remarked “I think the intention with the event is to basically build a positive awareness around biking, walking, and taking public transportation that is available in the community to the students [of Evanston Township High School.]” FioRito furthered her point by adding “I think that this is only just the first step, but we really want to start celebrating the option that the folks here have.”
