Milton seeks app to encourage kids walking to school

The Milton City Council has awarded a $32,850 contract to create a smart phone app that would encourage more children to walk to school.

AppZoro Technologies Inc. is to create an app that would give parents the ability to coordinate and schedule groups of students from nearby neighborhoods to form a “walking school bus,” with a parent volunteer as leader/chaperone, according to report to the council by Community Development Director Parag Agrawal.

“The wider application of this project is to alleviate some of the non-essential car trips to school, which lessens the traffic build-up and carbon emissions on Birmingham Highway,” Agrawal said. “Walking to school also promotes physical activity and social interaction with other neighborhood kids and parents.”