For the second year, Simsbury has celebrated National Bike Month with a busy May Bike Calendar filled with a variety of activities that promote biking and bike safety. While much of Simsbury’s past efforts to promote biking have targeted adults, the town is now making efforts to raise awareness of bicycle safety by educating young riders, and Simsbury’s youth are eager to participate.
For the month of May, Latimer Lane Elementary School and Tootin’ Hills Elementary School piloted Simsbury Public School’s Bike Education Program in physical education classes for students in grades 3 and 4. Students learned bike safety essentials like helmet and bike fit, braking, signaling, and proper road etiquette. At Latimer, the unit was met with enthusiasm from participants, especially when it came time to put the new bike safety skills into practice. Latimer Lane students took the school’s first bike field trip, a six-mile roundtrip ride to Peachwave, a frozen yoghurt shop in downtown Simsbury. The ride was no problem for the students who attended; the only challenge was turning students away when the 25 openings for the trip were quickly filled. Next year the bike safety unit is expected to reach more students, including those at Simsbury’s three other elementary schools.
Separate but complementary to the Bike Education Program, Latimer Lane School celebrated National Bike to School Day on May 8 as part of their parent-led Safe Routes to School Program. For Bike/Walk to School Day, 96 students hopped on bikes to go to school. In total, 226 students—50% of the study body—biked or walked to school, quite an achievement considering all but 45 Latimer students are assigned to bus routes. Teachers, staff, parents and distinguished guests also biked or walked to school with students, including First Selectman Mary Glassman and CT Safe Routes to School Coordinator Sharon Okoye.
Latimer Lane School’s Bike/Walk to School Day was 1 of 1,600 events nationwide and 1 of just 4 events in Connecticut celebrating National Bike to School Day and encouraging children to safely bike or walk to school. In past years, Simsbury’s Tootin’ Hills Elementary School also participated. Bike to School Day events are typically organized by a school’s Safe Routes to School Program and emphasize the importance of physical activity among children, while raising awareness of pedestrian and bike safety, the environmental impact of our transportation choices, and the need to create safer routes for bicycling and walking in the community. Safe Routes to School is a national initiative that offers training, technical assistance, and grants to local programs to improve conditions around elementary and middle schools so that more children can safely walk and bike to school.
Latimer Lane’s Safe Routes to School Program, introduced last fall, has held two successful bike/walk-to-school events. The Tootin’ Hills program began in 2011 and has hosted large events and smaller Walking/Biking Wednesdays. Based on the success of these two programs and Simsbury’s growing interest in promoting biking and bike safety to youth, Latimer Lane’s Safe Routes to School Committee has been encouraging Simsbury’s other schools to get involved. Thus far, Squadron Line Elementary School has stepped forward with interested parents and teachers, and fourth grade teacher Laura Russotto hosted a class bike-to-school field trip on May 24th, National Bike to Work Day, which put an extra dozen bikes on the Squadron Line bike rack.
Simsbury’s Bike Month Calendar included several youth-oriented activities that have been popular among Simsbury students and families. These activities have provided valuable opportunities to teach bike safety skills and demonstrate that biking is a fun, healthy and environmentally responsible transportation option.
Beyond Bike Month, expect to see more Simsbury students out on their bikes, and expect to see more opportunities for Simsbury students to participate in activities promoting biking and bike safety.
