The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) provides bike safety education programs to schools. Their Safe Routes for Kids program is a 10-lesson curriculum teaching kids bike handling skills and traffic safety. It covers topics like helmet fitting, rules of the road, signaling and practicing turns at intersections. In the 2009-2010 school year, the BTA taught over 4,000 students in 64 schools across several Oregon cities. Schools interested in the program need support from administrators, funding, equipment and engaged instructors.
Educating Future Leaders: D.C. Public Schools Bicycle Education ProgramFionnuala Quinn
Presentation: Educating Future Leaders - Collaborate Efforts for Social Change: An Analysis of the D. C. Public Schools Second Grade
Bicycle Education Program. Presented at 2016 Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place Conference in Vancouver, BC. Presenters:
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, Research Project Manager, Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University
Rick Holt, Senior Trainer/Consultant, George Mason University
Mary Butcher, Associate, The Bureau of Good Roads
Fionnuala Quinn, Director, The Bureau of Good Roads
Distance Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Challenges and Opportunitiesalanwylie
The Australian Keynote presentation by Associate Professor Mark Brown, Director, Teaching, Learning & Distance Education for the DEHub/ODLAA 2011 to 2021- Global challenges and perspectives of blended and distance learning the (14 to 18 February 2011).
Educational Development in Sultanate of Oman by homeschoolingFurqanButt11
In the presentation, failure of the current traditional schooling system which is behaving as a great barrier in the development of Oman is discussed. In doing so, the major loopholes of the schooling system are discussed. With that, Homeschooling is introduced as an alternative that is much more efficient and useful than the usual schooling system.
The Parikrma Foundation cooperated with the Dutch Foundation Making Miles for Millenium to introduce the XO of OLPC on one of their schools in Bangalore India (sept. 2008).
A presentation delivered at the Common Ground conference in Istanbul 26 February 2015 organised by Myra and a range of Turkish NGOs, and featuring the agencies in http://www.donotsmile.com
Session 63: How the Nashville Area MPO Bike/Ped Study Changed Funding Decisio...Sharon Roerty
How does a region of 22 municipalities, 3,300 miles of major roadways, and 1.3 million people covering 2,900 square miles determine where to invest in sidewalks, bikeways, and greenways? This session will focus on key successes from middle Tennessee’s first regional bicycle and pedestrian study including a public involvement process that engaged nearly 2,100 participants and the creation of a unique formula-based non-motorized project evaluation process impacting MPO funding.
Session 63: How the Nashville Area MPO Bike/Ped Study Changed Funding Decisio...Sharon Roerty
How does a region of 22 municipalities, 3,300 miles of major roadways, and 1.3 million people covering 2,900 square miles determine where to invest in sidewalks, bikeways, and greenways? This session will focus on key successes from middle Tennessee’s first regional bicycle and pedestrian study including a public involvement process that engaged nearly 2,100 participants and the creation of a unique formula-based non-motorized project evaluation process impacting MPO funding.
Educating Future Leaders: D.C. Public Schools Bicycle Education ProgramFionnuala Quinn
Presentation: Educating Future Leaders - Collaborate Efforts for Social Change: An Analysis of the D. C. Public Schools Second Grade
Bicycle Education Program. Presented at 2016 Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place Conference in Vancouver, BC. Presenters:
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, Research Project Manager, Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University
Rick Holt, Senior Trainer/Consultant, George Mason University
Mary Butcher, Associate, The Bureau of Good Roads
Fionnuala Quinn, Director, The Bureau of Good Roads
Distance Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Challenges and Opportunitiesalanwylie
The Australian Keynote presentation by Associate Professor Mark Brown, Director, Teaching, Learning & Distance Education for the DEHub/ODLAA 2011 to 2021- Global challenges and perspectives of blended and distance learning the (14 to 18 February 2011).
Educational Development in Sultanate of Oman by homeschoolingFurqanButt11
In the presentation, failure of the current traditional schooling system which is behaving as a great barrier in the development of Oman is discussed. In doing so, the major loopholes of the schooling system are discussed. With that, Homeschooling is introduced as an alternative that is much more efficient and useful than the usual schooling system.
The Parikrma Foundation cooperated with the Dutch Foundation Making Miles for Millenium to introduce the XO of OLPC on one of their schools in Bangalore India (sept. 2008).
A presentation delivered at the Common Ground conference in Istanbul 26 February 2015 organised by Myra and a range of Turkish NGOs, and featuring the agencies in http://www.donotsmile.com
Session 63: How the Nashville Area MPO Bike/Ped Study Changed Funding Decisio...Sharon Roerty
How does a region of 22 municipalities, 3,300 miles of major roadways, and 1.3 million people covering 2,900 square miles determine where to invest in sidewalks, bikeways, and greenways? This session will focus on key successes from middle Tennessee’s first regional bicycle and pedestrian study including a public involvement process that engaged nearly 2,100 participants and the creation of a unique formula-based non-motorized project evaluation process impacting MPO funding.
Session 63: How the Nashville Area MPO Bike/Ped Study Changed Funding Decisio...Sharon Roerty
How does a region of 22 municipalities, 3,300 miles of major roadways, and 1.3 million people covering 2,900 square miles determine where to invest in sidewalks, bikeways, and greenways? This session will focus on key successes from middle Tennessee’s first regional bicycle and pedestrian study including a public involvement process that engaged nearly 2,100 participants and the creation of a unique formula-based non-motorized project evaluation process impacting MPO funding.
Session 20: Incorporating Health into Trans. Planning at the Regional and Sta...Sharon Roerty
Metropolitan Planning Organizations and state Departments of Transportation are two examples of regional and state government where the relationship between health and transportation can be brought in to the transportation planning and project prioritization process. The Nashville Area MPO has several projects related to health and transportation. These include but are not limited to: prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian projects according to areas with populations with highest amounts of health disparities, conducting a Health Impact Assessment of a Transit Oriented Development Project, providing Safe Routes to School bicycle and pedestrian education training to P.E. teachers throughout the MPO area, and conducting a study with Vanderbilt University on energy expenditure by mode of transportation.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation will discuss state level efforts to link transportation and health including adopting language addressing the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians in the State Strategic Highway Safety Plan, adding language and a test question on non-motorized modes to the state Drivers’ License Manual and exam, adopting a rumble stripe policy that addresses the comfort and safety of bicyclists, and training law officers across the state on bicycle and pedestrian laws.
The MPO and TDOT will also discuss efforts to include transportation into the statewide plan to address obesity in Tennessee.
Session 38 - Addressing School Siting in the Greater Nashville RegionSharon Roerty
The Nashville Area MPO hosted a School Siting Symposium in 2010 with keynote speakers Matt Dalbey from EPA and David Salvesen from UNC. Learn about the process the MPO went through to plan the Symposium and learn about school siting decision makers and processes in the region.
Session 69 - Incorporating Health in Regional Transportation PlanningSharon Roerty
This session will orient the audience to the CDC guidance, which recommends that transportation policy include a balanced portfolio of transportation choices that support health and reduce health care costs.
In addition the session will highlight the work of innovative practitioners who are already putting these strategies to work in Tennessee and California. In regional projects in Tennessee, transportation planners have synthesized data to build frameworks for guiding future transportation investments, such as the Nashville Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Study. The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has also incorporated a new health element into its project selection criteria.
Implementing and Promoting Bicycle Sharing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 2011
After 3 years of planning by a multisector partnership, Chattanooga, Tennessee, will launch a fixed bicycle-sharing system in early 2011. We describe strategies and processes used to bring this innovative transportation approach to a midsized Southeastern city. The socio-ecological model for health promotion, which recognizes multiple levels of individual, social and environmental influences on behavior, will be used to promote bicycling as a desirable means of transportation on surface streets.
Speakers: Kassi M. Webster, MPH, fellow in the Public Health Prevention Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Philip Pugliese, MBA, Outdoor Chattanooga
Creating Livable Communities Through Smart School SitingSharon Roerty
Session 38 at Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike Conference in Chattanooga; describes policy and practices that encourage walkable, community-centered schools developing through Helping Johnny Walk to School project
Session 54 - Neighborhood Smart Trips: How Individualized Marketing Can Work ...Sharon Roerty
Small cities take heart – education and encouragement work for us too! In 2008 Bellingham, Washington (population 75,000) conducted an Individualized Marketing campaign (also known as Travel Smart or Smart Trips), targeting one-third of the City’s households. People in the targeted area now make 20% of their trips by walking and 11% by bicycling! These exciting results will be presented by the local program manager and Werner Brög, the developer of Individualized Marketing.
Federal funds for nonmotorized transportation and recreation. Recreational Trails Program, Robert Richards, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
Session 34: Rec Trails California (Haynes)-PWPBSharon Roerty
The Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Enhancement Activities and Recreational Trails Program
provide funds to the States to develop transportation and recreation infrastructure for walking and bicycling, connecting communities and promoting active living. Attendees will learn how to apply for funds: what works,
what doesn’t.
Session 34: Rec Trails Federal (Douwes)-PWPBSharon Roerty
The Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Enhancement Activities and Recreational Trails Program provide funds to the States to develop transportation and recreation infrastructure for walking and bicycling, connecting communities and promoting active living. Attendees will learn how to apply for funds: what works, what doesn’t.
Session 37: Using 2010 HCM for Complete Streets-PWPBSharon Roerty
Using the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual, Multimodal Arterial LOS Methodology to Evaluate and Plan Complete Streets. Martin Guttenplan, Theo Petritsch, Jamie Parks, Peter Costa
2. BTA Mission To create healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safe, convenient, and accessible. BTA Vision Bicycling transforms communities by reinventing transportation and offering solutions to the universal challenges to health, livability, and the environment.
3. Safe Routes for Kids The Bicycle Transportation Alliance's Bike Safety Education Program
8. 10 Lessons: Lesson 1: Introduction Lesson 2: Helmet fitting Lesson 3: Bike fitting Lesson 4: Rules of the Road and Stopping Lesson 5: Turning left and right at a simulated intersection. Lesson 6: Turning left and right using a low traffic intersection. Lesson 7: Right of way at a 3-way intersection Lesson 8: Right of way at a 4-way intersection Lesson 9: Review Lesson 10: Community Ride
26. How do I get started? 1. Support from Principal/District 2. Funding 3. Bike Fleet, Tools, Maintenance, and Storage 4. Excited, Knowledgeable Teachers
From Texas Drove to School Walked to the store and pulled over by police to see what was wrong and if I needed a ride Taught to bike in college. Told not to bike in the rain. Started bike commuting in New York City. Worked with Safe Routes for 3 years now.
Education and advocacy
How many of you are interested in teaching or having someone else teach a bike safety curriculum at a school? Would you like me to spend more time presenting, or do it quickly and have time to talk about ideas/barriers/how to solve problems and first steps.
As much as 26% of morning traffic is school related. (Imagine that you are all vehicles on the road, ¼ of you are taking kids to school) Passenger vehicles account for 62% of traffic green-house gas emissions. 61% of children 9-13 years do not participate in any physical activity during non-school hours. (My sister has 5 kids, that means 3 of those 5 are not getting any exercise, which 3 would you pick). In one generation the percentage of kids who walk or bike to school has dropped from 50% to 15% and Childhood obesity has tripled. Distance and Traffic Danger are the top 2 barriers.
We ask the kids why they love biking during one of the lessons and one of the most popular answers is “the wind.”
Teaching 4th-7th graders the bike-safety basics using Safe Routes for Kids , a 10 hour curriculum of in-class and on-street lessons during the school day. Lessons include: Stopping with both brakes Turning left and right Looking back for traffic Following the laws Wearing a helmet Practicing right of way
These lessons are geared toward having one instructor and the classroom teacher present. Many of the lessons in the curriculum are geared toward using a classroom teacher or phys ed teacher and several volunteers. These drills have been modified to fit our level of adult participation.
Lesson 1: Introduction Objectives: Students learn the importance of biking safely, understand the health and environmental benefits of biking, view a 20-minute video about bike safety (First Gear), and define visible, predictable, and legal cycling. Lesson 2: Helmet fitting Objectives: Students learn how to and demonstrate the ability to properly fit a bicycle helmet and understand the importance of wearing a helmet while cycling. Lesson 3: Bike fitting Objectives: Students learn how to properly fit a bicycle, understand and demonstrate the ability to check major components of a bike to make sure it is safe to ride, and understand and demonstrate the ability to properly outfit themselves to be ready to ride a bicycle. Drills: Ride with Ghost Rider Space (leaving a bike length between you and the person in front of your while riding single file). Lesson 4: Rules of the Road and Stopping Objectives: Students define intersection, discuss rules of the road and how they apply to cycling, learn the lane positions and understand their use, understand and demonstrate stopping using both brakes, understand the basics of shifting gears, and demonstrate the ability to only shift when pedaling. Drills: See “DAY 4 COURSE” Lesson 5: Turning left and right at a simulated intersection. Objectives: Students demonstrate how to properly use lane positions to turn left and right, understand and demonstrate the ability to look back before moving into the lane, understand and demonstrate the proper use of hand signals. Drills: Shoulder-Check, and see “DAY 5 COURSE” Lesson 6: Turning left and right using a low traffic intersection. Objectives: Students define right of way, learn the three rules of right of way, understand the dangers of riding with traffic and the importance of making safe decisions, demonstrate the ability to safely and legally turn left and right at an intersection using lane positions. Drills: See “DAY 6 COURSE”
Lesson 7: Right of way at a 3-way intersection Objectives: Students demonstrate understanding of the rules of right of way, understand and demonstrate how to make a safe decision at an intersection using his/her own judgment, demonstrate the ability to safely and legally turn left and right at an intersection using lane positions. Drills: See “DAY 7 AND 8 COURSE” Lesson 8: Right of way at a 4-way intersection Objectives: Students define road hazard, understand how to safely avoid road hazards, demonstrate understanding of the rules of right of way, understand and demonstrate how to make a safe decision at an intersection using his/her own judgment, demonstrate the ability to legally turn left and right at an intersection using lane positions. Drills: See “DAY 7 AND 8 COURSE” Lesson 9: Review Objectives: Students understand all material presented in Lessons 1-8, demonstrate the ability to ride safely with traffic following the rules of the road and using lane positions. Drills: See “DAY 7 AND 8 COURSE” Lesson 10: Community Ride Objective: Students safely complete a group ride in the neighborhood following all rules of the road. Students experience some benefits of cycling. Drills: 1-hour bike ride through the community.
I picked lesson 5 because it still includes many of the very basic skills. The curriculum is a series of levels to the pyramid, gear is first, laws/ hand signals are next, where to ride in the road follows, and then how to interact with other road users and practice is the icing on the cake (or pyramid… choose you analogy) . Lesson 5 is still working on the basics, and since I am going to teach you all this lesson, it’s a great one. So transform into 5th graders, we’re going to learn how to navigate an intersection.
During one communtity ride the students were pretending to be a musical show going on the road performing the ever popular musical sensational hit, Shoulder check signal, move to position one.
• Students rode by a group of people during their community ride who asked, “What is this? Why aren’t you in school” to which a student replied, “This is school!” • On one community ride, the weather was unusual to say the least with sun, strong winds, rain, and hail. At one point when the hail and wind were particularly bad and there was no cover, the group had to stop and face away from the wind to protect the students' faces. A student yelled, “This is another reason to wear a helmet. It keeps us safe from hail!” • While riding in the bike lane on Holgate, one student proclaimed, “This is OUR lane!” On one ride, many students rode on a tour of their neighborhoods for the first time. Shouts of “I didn’t know this was here!” could be heard along the single file line of students. • A student attended class wearing kneepads and shoulder pads . He learned to ride that day.
The BTA started teaching in a couple of schools in 1998. In the 2009-2010 school year, the BTA taught in: 40 Portland Schools: Funded by Portland Bureau of Transportation's Safe Routes to School Program 5 Albany Schools: Mostly funded through individual and business donations, partial ODOT funding 6 Ashland Schools: Some Ashland Parks and Rec funding and some ODOT funding 7 Corvallis Schools: ODOT funding and Local Bike Club donations 2 Eugene Schools: Some local grants, Business donations, and ODOT funds 4 Salem Schools: Local Bike Club donations and ODOT funds
1. Support from Principal/District Start small. Go for the low hanging fruit. 2. Funding Local, State, Federal Grants; Fee for service; Individual/ Business Donors 3. Bike Fleet, Tools, Maintenance, and Storage Six 20-inch wheel bikes; Twenty 24-inch wheel bikes; Seven 26-inch wheel bikes. 4. Excited, Knowledgeable Teachers Either teach classroom/PE teachers to bike safely or teach a bike safety expert lessons in classroom management!
For more information about the BTA's Safe Routes to School Curriculum, contact: LeeAnne Fergason, leeanne@bta4bikes.org, 503-226-0676x26 You can order your own copy by visiting www.bta4bike.org.