May is Bike Month. For some cyclists that means business as usual: weekend family rides, longer athletic journeys or two-wheel commuting. For others, it means dusting off their older model bicycle and giving cycling a try. Again
Here in Culver City, it has extra meaning. The Culver City Bicycle Coalition is preparing for Bike to Work Week (May 12-16), Bike to Work Day (May 15) and Bike Night (May 16), sponsored by Metro.
For the children of Culver City it means even more. For the first time, all the elementary schools and the middle school will be participating in National Bike to School Day activities, joining thousands of schools across the country in celebrating the values of biking and walking to school.
As part of the ongoing Safe Routes to School Program, Culver City Walk & Rollers is helping each school craft an activity that’s appropriate for their location. From meet-up spots and group rides to welcome tables with free goodies, the activities represent a full range of possibilities. Families are encouraged to contact their school for details on their school’s event and how they can participate.
Although several Culver City schools have active walk-bike to school activities, for others, Bike to School Day marks their first step toward building a foundation for future programs that can reduce traffic and pollution around the schools while helping the students start their day in a healthy, active way. Other advantages of walking and biking to school include promoting good decision-making, developing responsibility and cultivating a greater sense of community.
For these reasons, parents are encouraged to take advantage of Bike Month and to start biking or walking to school with their children more often. For some, that might be a daily adventure, for others it may be weekly event, while some parents find that once a month is all they can manage. Whatever the intentions, Bike Month is a great opportunity to try out an alternative to driving to school every day.
Since some parents still find that walking or biking from home to school is challenging, a common alternative is to simply drive less. Options such as carpooling may be a good idea as is taking the five-block challenge, which involves parking five blocks from school and walking the rest of the distance. It’s important to recognize all efforts, as every day and each block not driven helps.
Walking to school is an excellent opportunity to discuss and practice safety and responsible life-lessons. Conversations like stopping at curbs and learning when it’s safe to go by looking left, right and left again are best when taught by parents. Other issues such as or respecting neighbors’ property, avoiding stray dogs, or even what happens when a stranger approaches make for good conversation points on the way to school. These are important conversations all parents should be having with their children, and may feel awkward at other times, but feel quite natural on the way to school.
For more information on Bike to School Month and other Culver City Safe Routes to School activities and updates, please visit www.ccWalkAndRoll.com
Sidebar:
The fun doesn’t stop with walking or biking to school. Starting May 3, Culver City Walk & Rollers will launch their monthly family ride program. Each ride will start in a different location, so residents will have plenty of opportunities to explore Culver City and the best routes to and from schools. The May 3rd ride will meet at Town Plaza near the Culver Hotel and explore the neighborhood around Linwood Howe. Join the group at 10 a.m. to check in, hear a brief safety talk and be ready to roll at 10:15. The family-friendly rides are free, will last about 2 hours, and are lead by trained instructors.
The family rides will focus on the neighborhoods around Culver City elementary schools to highlight safe passages and teach best practices for biking to school. Group rides are great opportunities to test out routes and develop confidence for all riders in a calm setting. Visit www.ccWalkAndRoll.com for details and schedules.
