Poll Results: Readers Divided on Right Age for Kids to Walk to School

Last week, at what age you'd allow your children to walk or bike to school on their own.

Two options in our unscientific poll ran neck and neck all week. By the poll's close Monday night, 37 percent of you said middle school was the earliest age for kids to safely walk or bike to school, while 36 percent chose fourth grade and up.

Eight percent chose high school, just one percent said any age was fine, and a full 15 percent of you said it's just not safe for kids to walk to school.

Commenters brought up several benefits of kids making their own way to school, including improved physical fitness and fewer dollars spent on transportation.

With , the Elk Grove Unified School District is stepping up its campaign to encourage kids to commute on foot or by bike. It will be interesting to see how successful they are at convincing parents that the benefits outweigh the perceived risks.