The Safe Routes to School Task Force encourages you and your children to walk or bike to school this fall and winter.  Walking to school reduces traffic congestion around schools, boosts a sense of community, and gives your child good pedestrian and biking skills they will use throughout life.  “Newton MA 311” is the City of Newton’s app for your mobile phone and allows you to report concerns immediately, pinpoint the exact location, and include a photo. You can report anonymously or with contact information so you can track the progress of the report. In addition to sidewalk repairs, sign and traffic signal problems, and brush covering the sidewalk, there are 14 categories for reporting snow concerns, including sidewalks that are not cleared and corners that are blocked. You can also report concerns on their website or call the city at 617-796-1000. We encourage you to report a problem even if someone else already has, as the volume of reports draws the city’s attention to the problem. Please contact us at pedestrian@newtonma.gov  with any questions. Additionally, please shovel your sidewalk and encourage your neighbors to shovel theirs so children can walk safely to school through the winter.