I learned to ride a bike in the parking lot of a small-town bank in West Virginia. Each weekend morning, my grandfather would jog alongside me, steadying the seat as I circled the empty lot. As I gained confidence, we ventured onto the scenic paths along the Potomac River, creating some of my most cherished childhood memories.
Now, residing in New York City, I find myself in an apartment too cramped for a bicycle and far from any sizable parks for riding. While biking on city streets is common, I lack the courage to navigate them. My 5-year-old son hasn’t yet learned to ride, and I’m uncertain how to approach this.
Then I came across an intriguing article: D.C. public schools have introduced a program teaching second-graders how to ride bicycles as part of their physical education curriculum. This innovative approach struck me as brilliant.
As reported by Veronica Smith for CityLab, the director of health and physical education for D.C. public schools, Thomas Baker, has initiated a program that provides 475 BMX bikes to various schools, delivering them in groups of 25 for several weeks. This initiative focuses on teaching cycling skills to many children in the city who have not had the opportunity to learn.
This bike program is part of a broader initiative known as “Cornerstones,” aimed at offering specialized curricula to D.C. students, particularly to bridge the achievement gap between wealthier and less affluent children. The bicycle education program is designed to ensure that all D.C. public school students, regardless of their access to bikes or safe riding environments, can benefit. As Smith notes, “Urban biking faces a significant equity challenge. As Capital Bikeshare grows and the city enhances its biking infrastructure, there’s a risk that low-income families will be excluded from the cycling boom. Universal bike education could help avert this issue.”
One contributing factor to the childhood obesity epidemic is the lack of physical activity. In my youth, many children walked or rode their bikes to school. However, Lauren Mitchell, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, shared last year that the primary reason parents cite for not allowing their children to bike or walk to school is distance, with safety concerns following closely behind. The limited number of dedicated bike lanes makes it challenging for kids to travel safely. However, increasing the number of cyclists and pedestrians can lead to improved safety for all, as stated on SafeRoutesPartnership.org.
Elected officials often hesitate to allocate more space for bike lanes, believing there aren’t enough cyclists to justify the investment. Thus, familiarizing a new generation with biking may gradually shift the balance from automobile lanes to bike lanes. Washington’s bike-share program has already shown a modest yet positive impact on alleviating traffic congestion.
I would love for my children to learn to ride in the same manner I did, but our current circumstances make that difficult. If their physical education classes included cycling, I would be delighted. It would equip them with a lifelong skill for affordable, healthy, and environmentally friendly transportation. Honestly, I would relish the chance to ride again myself; we could explore the riverside together.
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Summary:
Teaching children to ride bicycles in schools could provide them with a valuable life skill. Programs like the one in Washington, D.C. aim to ensure all students, regardless of socio-economic background, have the opportunity to learn cycling. This initiative not only promotes physical activity but also addresses equity in urban biking, encouraging a healthier lifestyle for future generations.