Creating child cyclers

Today wrapped up the final day of the three-week Ride Smart training at Natomas Park Elementary. We had approximately 130 students participating in this curriculum put together by Mellissa of the NNTMA using the Safe Routes To School program from Eugene. This is the third year that Natomas Park has had Mellissa and her crew come into the school and you can certainly see what kind of impact it has had! I was absolutely blown away by the number of children who rode to school already (and that doesn't count those who walked or scooted). Even on the rainy day, there were still a large number of bikes in the dedicated bike parking in front of the school. 

Some of the children in our fifth grade classes had never learned how to ride. They signed up for a couple of extra coaching sessions in the beginning and by the time we had the kids on bikes, everyone was able to ride. We spent the first few lessons going over proper lane positioning, right-of-way rules, and personal safety. Next, we brought the kids out on the blacktop to go over handling skills like stopping with both brakes (surprisingly difficult!), signaling, and scanning behind while riding in a straight line. If we felt the students were ready, (and by the last class, pretty much everyone was) we took them out onto the adjacent bike paths and into the neighborhood streets. 

During the street rides, we would stop every block or so and talk about the maneuvers ahead. We managed to get a lot of real-world riding experience in that short amount of time. It was exciting to be helping guide these students while they rode. I can imagine how fun this would be for them, the very first steps to freedom! 

One student came up to me after the program and thanked me for this experience. I asked him if he rode bikes very often and he said that his mom was "very restrictive and wouldn't let him ride in the neighborhood." That did break my heart a little. It seems that there are also always a few students in the classes whose parents won't let them learn how to ride a bike. Sometimes the coordinators can convince them by explaining how we are teaching the students how to keep themselves safe but there is still a small group who feel the need to keep their kids off bikes. There were plenty of parents who showed up at the school in large SUVs and clogged the surrounding streets with heavy traffic each afternoon at pick-up. 

However, these are the steps we need to be taking! These students are getting onto bikes and now understand the rules of the road and how important it is to ride properly and predictably. Many adults can't manage these skills! There were a couple of parent volunteers who showed up for the street riding portions. One of the kindergarten teachers came by to tell us how much our program meant to the students. There is so much more that needs to be taught but this is at least the beginning of little seeds being implanted in their minds. One girl decided that she "didn't want to get a car right away." She was "going to get a bike first and then see what happened later on." 

I am so impressed at how well the NNTMA has reached out into the community to create a fun and safe environment for biking and walking. I am also incredibly grateful to be a part of this amazing revolution! I can't wait for the next school in May! 

Although, I will admit that I'm happy for a break from commuting to Natomas three days a week! I don't know how Tim can manage that distance each day, BionX or not!