Walking to school is a good way to promote exercise, battle obesity and help the environment.

The only problem, San Carlos parents say, is that opting for foot or pedal power rather than cars brings with it a whole different set of hazards.

A group of these concerned parents want to make walking to school in their city a little safer by joining the international movement, Safe Routes to Schools. The push is no stranger to the Peninsula but San Carlos is just now joining up.

On April 2, the city’s committee will kick off its monthly effort, known as Car-LESS Days, which asks students to walk, bike or carpool, said coordinator Marie Camenzind who has two daughters attending Arundel Elementary School.

Each San Carlos School District board member will walk with members of individuals schools while Superintendent Steve Mitrovich heads to all seven schools that morning. San Carlos Councilman Randy Royce will even join the cause.

Classes with the most participants will get goody bags with donated pedometers, water, sticks and safety reflectors. The incentives have students excited but organizers hope the effort extends beyond one specific day.

“It’s all about changing mindsets and lifestyles,” Carmenzind said.

More students should be walking or biking to school, particularly in a community like San Carlos blessed with good weather, Camenzind said.

But, no different than other areas where the number of children who did so dropped from 60 percent to 15 percent over the last 30 years, San Carlos students are blocked by lack of infrastructure, lack of education and increased traffic.

“The congestion here at times can be very frustrating,” Camenzind said.

Some surveys estimate 20 percent of morning traffic is due to parents taking children to school. The sheer number of cars clog streets, pollute the air and make the overall area unsafe for those on the street.

“[O]f course the fewer cars on the road, the better the quality of air we breathe and the less greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere,” Camenzind said.

Surveys of San Carlos schools turned up three top barriers to walking or biking to school, according to the committee: traffic/danger on streets surrounding schools, lack of sidewalks and no crossing guards.

The committee also wants to work with the Public Works Department and Transportation and Circulation Department to solve some of these dilemmas.

Forming a formal committee not only let like-minded parents gauge interest but also opens up the possibility of state and federal grants earmarked for safe routes programs.

Those interested in more information or to participate can contact Camenzind at 593-7868 or mariecamenzind@pacbell.net.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.