CHAPTER 9: ACTION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS EDUCATION Goal: Establish at least two educational programs a year to foster and teach bicycle and pedestrian safety within the community. 1.
Facilitate an annual bicycle rodeo event to teach bicycle skills and safety to students. Bicycle Rodeos are bicycle safety training events held over the period of several hours that teach bicycle safety lessons and on-bike skills, usually in a station format (e.g., bicycle safety check, helmet fitting, instruction about the rules of the road, on-bike obstacle course, on-bike skills drills, etc.). While geared towards children, many of the lessons can be appropriate for adults as well. Bicycles rodeos can be held as part of a larger event or on their own, and either during the school day or outside of school. Adult volunteers can administer rodeos, or they may be offered through the local police department. Key partners in implementing a bicycle rodeo event may (should) include teachers, League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructors, and Horizon SHIP.
2.
Educate students about the proper walking and bicycling etiquette through in-school and after-school bicycle and pedestrian safety education. a. If not existing, establish an after-school club. b. Utilize the Walk! Bike! Fun! curricula to help students understand the rules of the road. c.
Identify the need for a bicycle fleet
Observation results indicate that a number of students do not know the proper walking and bicycling etiquette. Students were not utilizing crosswalks, did not look both ways before crossing the street, and finally rode their bicycles and walked on the wrong side of the street. After-school clubs can provide educational information across many subjects including hands-on training or environmental issues. With the current numbers of students walking and bicycling to and from school, it is advantageous for students to learn the skills to safely walk and bicycle to and from school. The Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum is an in-classroom and real-world (on foot, on bike) educational resource. Taught by specially trained school district teachers, this curriculum is intended for children ages five through thirteen. It teaches life-long skills related to traffic rules, potential hazards, and bike handling skills that enable students to walk and bike safely and comfortably to and from school along with other trips around their communities. The curriculum addresses a variety of walking and
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