BELMONT, NC –  Parents, students, community members, and local officials will come together on Friday, April 4th, for a Walk to School event to raise awareness about the need for improved pedestrian infrastructure near schools. The event will begin at 7:00 AM at Davis Park (204 Park Drive, Belmo nt) and aims to highlight the challenges children face while walking to school safely. As Belmont continues to grow, ensuring safe routes to and from school has become more critical than ever. This event serves as a call to action for local, state, and federal leaders to collaborate on transportation solutions that prioritize student safety. “We want to emphasize the importance of safe walking environments and reliable traffic measures,” said Capt. Aaron Black of the Belmont Police Department. “Parents and children in our community deserve secure routes, and this event will illustrate the daily challenges they encounter.” Participants will follow a designated route that many students take to school each day, offering a firsthand look at existing safety concerns. The event will also serve as an educational opportunity, encouraging student and parent input while engaging local officials and transportation experts in discussions about potential solutions. The Walk to School event takes place amid ongoing conversations about funding and prioritization of infrastructure projects in North Carolina and the Charlotte region. While organizers recognize the challenges faced by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and local transportation departments, they hope this event underscores the urgency of improving safety measures in school zones. ...read more read less