Fifth graders at Mary Harris "Mother" Jones ES turn the rodeo stations into a bicycle ballet.
Truesdell ES makes the news as the DC Department of Transportation celebrates the DC Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Program along with International Walk to School Day.
For more information, or to find out
how to bring bicycle and pedestrian
education to your community, contact
safetyed@waba.org, or call 202.518.0524.
National bicycle and pedestrian crash statistics show that children under the age of
15 are over-represented, and that these children are usually found to be the cause of bike/car
crashes in which they are involved.
Growing concern in the Public Health field about the decreasing levels of
physical activity and the effect of this trend on the health of children. In the United States,
the number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980, (to 13% of al adolescents), and
more than 60% of adults are overweight or obese. (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2002) This can lead to more health problems, including heart disease, type II
diabetes, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer. (U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services)
The Maryland State Highway Administration has been developing its Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Program for several years and has recently been joined by the District of Columbia Department of Transportation in supporting the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's program to expand it into DC and ultimately throughout Maryland.
FY 2002- year 1- Toole Design Group, LLC of Laurel, MD designed the program by consulting with successful Ped/Bike safety programs from all over the world, local educators, and the City of Rockville's department of Recreation and Parks.
FY 2003- year 2- City of Rockville's department of Recreation and Parks field tested the program in Rockville schools.
FY 2004-year 3- City of Rockville expanded the program into every school in Rockville. Washington Area Bicyclist Association expanded the program into Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland and into the District of Columbia.
FY 2005- Washington Area Bicyclist Association expands the program further in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties and in the District of Columbia, as well as into Central MD for the first time. This expansion is accomplished by means of teacher trainings, a program website, another program trailer, coordination, and mentoring.