Bike to School Month Has Long-lasting Effects On Students

The Safe Routes to School Movement relies not only upon motivated parents, but on excited students as well.  As a Mt. Baker Middle School Physical Education (PE) teacher, Matt King knows middle school students can often be difficult to motivate.  This fact did not deter him, however, from finding a way to up the coolness factor of biking and walking safely for his students.  Fitness and Safety on Bikes, a Bike to School Month Celebration, was King’s solution.

Grant money for the month-long incentive program was secured through the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) by the Auburn School District and then passed on to Mt. Baker and other schools.  King’s events included encouraging biking to school by offering raffled-off incentives such as free shirts, tubes, locks, helmets, patch kits, and even bikes.

Students also attended assemblies featuring Willie Weir, a world-traveling cyclist, and Steven Mills, a community safety officer for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad Company which runs through the town.  Students were encouraged to ride their bikes to school on Fridays and were inundated with bicycle safety and health information throughout the month.  “Without the help of funding and time we got from members of the community, our events wouldn’t have been successful,” explains King.  “Having bike cops ride with us alleviated pressure on teachers and was more fun for the kids.

The campaign ended with “Baker Pedal Power,” a 14 mile Saturday ride on the Inter-Urban Trail sponsored by the WTSC grant and the Bicycle Alliance of Washington (BAW).  “There were about 70 participants and a lot of parents came and rode with their kids,” explains King.  “Some of the kids were surprised they could ride that far and most of them didn’t even know a big long trail runs right in our backyard!”

King believes that the month he devoted to Fitness and Safety on Bikes has made a difference in the number of students biking recreationally and to school.  “Kids still wear the t-shirts and there are absolutely more kids biking to school.  I also see them on the trail and around town.”  While the event took a lot of time ­to organize, King would like to have another encouragement month.  “It made me so happy just to see kids riding to school and filling up our bike racks.”

Sign up here for more information about how to organize a successful Bike to School Month Campaign in your community!