I learned to ride a bicycle in the parking lot of a local bank in my hometown in West Virginia. Every weekend morning, my grandfather would jog behind me, holding the seat steady as I pedaled in circles around the empty lot. As my confidence blossomed, we ventured on longer rides along the scenic paths by the Potomac River. Those rides remain some of my most cherished childhood memories.
Now residing in New York City, I find myself in a small apartment without space for a bicycle, and I am far removed from parks suitable for cycling. While many brave souls navigate the busy streets on two wheels, I lack the confidence to do so. My 5-year-old son has yet to learn how to ride, and I’m uncertain about how to approach the situation.
Then I came across a remarkable initiative: public schools in Washington, D.C. are teaching second graders to ride bicycles as part of their physical education curriculum. This innovative program, organized by Laura Jennings, the director of health and physical education for D.C. public schools, involves distributing 475 BMX bikes to various schools in groups of 25 for several weeks at a time. Second graders receive intensive cycling lessons—an essential skill that many children in the area were previously missing out on.
This bike program is part of the “Cornerstones” initiative, which aims to provide specialized curricula to help bridge the educational achievement gap between affluent and less affluent students. The bicycle education program is particularly vital for D.C. public school students, many of whom face barriers such as a lack of access to bicycles and safe places to ride. As highlighted in an article by Amanda Kolson Hurley, urban biking presents significant equity challenges. As bike-sharing programs like Capital Bikeshare expand and D.C. enhances its bike infrastructure, it is crucial to ensure that low-income families are included in this cycling renaissance. Universal bike education can help achieve that goal.
One of the key factors contributing to childhood obesity is insufficient physical activity. In my youth, most children walked or biked to school in our small town. However, Lauren Smith, the director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, noted in an interview that the primary reason parents cite for not allowing their children to walk or cycle to school is distance, with safety concerns following closely behind. The scarcity of dedicated bike lanes limits safe travel options for children. Nevertheless, increasing the number of people who walk or cycle can enhance the safety of pedestrians and cyclists overall, according to SafeRoutesPartnership.org.
Elected officials often hesitate to allocate more space for bike lanes, believing there aren’t enough cyclists to justify the change. By fostering a new generation of children comfortable with biking, we may gradually shift the balance of road space from cars to bicycles. Washington’s bike-share program has already shown a small but significant impact on reducing traffic congestion.
I wish for my children to learn to ride bicycles as I did, but that is impractical in our current environment. If their physical education classes included cycling instruction, I would be ecstatic. It would provide them with a lifelong skill for affordable, healthy, and eco-friendly transportation. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind getting back on a bike myself; we could enjoy a ride along the river together. If you want to explore more about home insemination, check out this blog post.
In summary, integrating cycling education into school curricula can equip children with essential skills while promoting health and equity. It can also help address the growing concerns of childhood obesity and foster a safer environment for all road users.