On Safe Routes to Schools
and Bicycle Safety
An Editorial by COP Member Patricia Kovacs
I am a resident of Gahanna which has a Bicycle Advisory Committee. The committee was inactive for a few years but is now meeting on a regular basis to advise the city on making Gahanna more bicycle-friendly. We are making progress and have started development of a new bicycle trail along Walnut Creek. If you live in Gahanna or just bike through, please consider joining the committee. Or join the advisory committee in your local community.
One of the issues in our community is the lack of funding for infrastructure improvements. So, I was very interested in the Safe Routes To Schools program which John Gideon wrote about in a previous COP newsletter. This program has federal funding available to finance education programs and infrastructure improvements to provide a safe route for children to walk or bicycle to school. Gahanna applied for funding and we, along with Canal Winchester, Columbus, New Albany and the University Area Enrichment Association, have been awarded funding to develop school travel plans. Other school districts in Delaware and Licking counties have also received funding. Johnstown has been awarded money for both education and infrastructure projects. The details of the Ohio funding for 2008 is at www.dot.state.oh.us/SafeRoutes/Default.htm
One of the components of the Safe Routes to Schools is Education (along with the other 4 E's: Engineering, Enforcement, Encouragement and Evaluation). I think it is important that we become better educated in bicycling skills and share that knowledge with others in the community. I took the League of American Bicyclists Effective Cycling class from Gordon Renkes many years ago in anticipation of leading rides for beginner riders. Although I thought I knew everything about cycling, I learned many new techniques for riding in traffic, bike handling skills and specifics of Ohio traffic law which I was not previously aware of. The benefits of the LAB Road 1 course (see ad in this newsletter) are well worth the investment of 3 Saturday mornings. Please consider taking a league course and also becoming a certified league instructor (as I have recently done). www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/index.php
Another bicycle educator in Columbus is Chris Luers, of Restoration Bicycles, who teaches workshops on Urban Riding, Bicycle Mechanics and Winter Weather Riding. He will also be teaching courses this spring and summer so check out his schedule at www.restorationbicycle.com
Both Gordon and Chris are excellent cycling educators with extensive knowledge and experience in the practical and technical aspects of cycling.
I will be teaching some bicycle safety programs in Gahanna in May for kids age 10-14. For more information, see the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Department program schedule www.gahanna.gov/departments/parks/
Tricia Kovacs, pkovacs(at)att.net