Skip To Main Content

Columbia Walk Routes

Students living within one road mile from the school are expected to walk or bike to school. A one-mile walking distance should take approximately 20-30 minutes walking one way; this approximates a child’s walking pace of 3 miles per hour (mph). Bellingham Public Schools partners with the City of Bellingham to support families by identifying school walk routes that are within one mile of the school and determining road and crosswalk public works projects based on district recommendations.

Much of the district work around walking (and biking) to school is based on a 2015 guide developed by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Washington Traffic Safety Committee, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the Washington State Department of Health. Click here for more on the walk route boundary process.

To see whether your child is on a walk route, please check Infofinder Bus Route Locator.


Walk route directions for Columbia Elementary School

From front of the school, travel north or south on Utter Street to access:

  • West N St
  • Lynn St
  • Monroe St

From rear of the school, travel north or south on Walnut Street to access:

  • Northwest Ave from W Connecticut
  • Elm St from Monroe St

Cross Elm St and Northwest Ave at designated crosswalks.

All walking routes have sidewalks and 25 mph speed limits

 

Map

Click here for Columbia Elementary School walking map (PDF)

 

Health and Sustainability

Sixty minutes is the recommended amount of physical activity time for kids and teenagers every day. Increasing physical activity has positive effects on learning, physical and mental health. Walking or biking to and from school is a great way to incorporate more physical activity into the day.

The Bellingham Public Schools commitment to climate action is found in the BPS Climate Action Plan. Encouraging walking and biking to school helps to keep cars off the road, reduces congestion and traffic, and leads to a more resilient and sustainable future for our children.

Contact

If you have any questions or concerns about walk routes or the defining process, please reach out to the transportation director Cindy Dennis at 360-676-6546.

For general safety tips, visit Safety To and From School.