Comments on: Biking to school http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=264 Audacious Ideas is a blog created to stimulate ideas and discussion about solutions to difficult problems in Baltimore. Each week, we will ask individuals to think candidly and audaciously about what can be done to promote opportunity, achievement, health and prosperity in our city. Open Society Institute-Baltimore believes that discussion and debate are critical to making positive, lasting changes. We see this as a testing ground where ideas can be considered and discussion can be fostered. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:25:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Barry Childress http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=264&cpage=1#comment-4951 Barry Childress Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:42:38 +0000 http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=264#comment-4951 This is a topic a lot of groups are interested in promoting; One Less Car (Maryland's statewide bicycling and walking advocacy org,) Baltimore Bicycling Club (promoting safe cycling,)WABA in conjunction with SHA has bicycle safety trailers/training material for use in the class room here in Baltimore, and there is the City's Safety City program. Despite all the interest in promoting bicycling to school there are major obstacles, school principles that find it easier to prohibit biking and walking rather then identify barriers and correct those barriers. (ref: http://www.thewashcycle.com/2009/02/october-2008-mbpac-meeting-notes.html) My observations from around the country its when the PTA demands safe accesses to schools then safe accesses becomes available. If you buy the lie that the roads *have to* be unsafe to walk or bike on then they are unsafe and that is the end of that. Another part of the problem is there are a lot of urban myths that exist supposedly for bicycle safety that actually make cycling less safe and feed the myth that cycling is not safe activity. It is extremely important to get information about good safe riding practices into the hands of the public. Anyway International Walk to school day is October 7th. http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/ which has a lot of great ideas on how to make this a reality. If there is something I can do to help, drop me a line. This is a topic a lot of groups are interested in promoting; One Less Car (Maryland’s statewide bicycling and walking advocacy org,) Baltimore Bicycling Club (promoting safe cycling,)WABA in conjunction with SHA has bicycle safety trailers/training material for use in the class room here in Baltimore, and there is the City’s Safety City program.

Despite all the interest in promoting bicycling to school there are major obstacles, school principles that find it easier to prohibit biking and walking rather then identify barriers and correct those barriers. (ref: http://www.thewashcycle.com/2009/02/october-2008-mbpac-meeting-notes.html)

My observations from around the country its when the PTA demands safe accesses to schools then safe accesses becomes available. If you buy the lie that the roads *have to* be unsafe to walk or bike on then they are unsafe and that is the end of that.

Another part of the problem is there are a lot of urban myths that exist supposedly for bicycle safety that actually make cycling less safe and feed the myth that cycling is not safe activity. It is extremely important to get information about good safe riding practices into the hands of the public.

Anyway International Walk to school day is October 7th. http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/ which has a lot of great ideas on how to make this a reality. If there is something I can do to help, drop me a line.

]]> By: Jed http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=264&cpage=1#comment-4853 Jed Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:02:24 +0000 http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=264#comment-4853 Dr. Farkas, Thanks for the comment! I agree that heavy traffic can be a challenge and danger with biking. Hopefully, with more and more folks choosing to commute healthily in the city, and a good group of folks working hard on alternative transportation issues, we'll have more awareness with drivers, and more physical infrastructure such as sharrows and bike lanes installed. That being said, auto drivers have a responsibility to share the road equally with bikes and other non-motorized vehicles. Dr. Farkas,

Thanks for the comment! I agree that heavy traffic can be a challenge and danger with biking.

Hopefully, with more and more folks choosing to commute healthily in the city, and a good group of folks working hard on alternative transportation issues, we’ll have more awareness with drivers, and more physical infrastructure such as sharrows and bike lanes installed.

That being said, auto drivers have a responsibility to share the road equally with bikes and other non-motorized vehicles.

]]> By: Henry Farkas, MD, MPH http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=264&cpage=1#comment-4838 Henry Farkas, MD, MPH Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:01:54 +0000 http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=264#comment-4838 I'm a big fan of bicycle transportation, but there's a problem with heavy traffic and no bike lanes around the areas where many of the schools are located. This is fine for the kids who live near a neighborhood school on a small, residential street, but it could lead to student injuries and death for schools on large streets with heavy rush hour traffic. I’m a big fan of bicycle transportation, but there’s a problem with heavy traffic and no bike lanes around the areas where many of the schools are located. This is fine for the kids who live near a neighborhood school on a small, residential street, but it could lead to student injuries and death for schools on large streets with heavy rush hour traffic.

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