Partners Bring Bike Safety to Tahoe Youth

Photo by Theresa Papandrea. Victoria Ortiz with Tailwind Strategies gets ready to do the watermelon drop exercise at Bijou Elementary School in which she drops a watermelon, once with and once without being fitted with a helmet, to show the real-life importance of head protection.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. — As more Lake Tahoe students bike, walk, and ride e-bikes to school and around their neighborhoods, local partners are working to ensure they have the skills and confidence to do so safely, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and Tahoe Bicycle Coalition.

National traffic safety data shows that among youth riders, children aged 10 to 14 are at the highest risk of bicycle-related injuries. Throughout last month, a pilot program by TRPA and the Tahoe Bicycle Coalition allowed fourth-grade students across the Lake Tahoe Unified School District to welcome experienced bicycle safety instructors into their classrooms to learn the fundamentals of bicycle safety. The lessons are based on the National Safe Routes to School curriculum covering helmet safety, signaling, bike handling skills, visibility, and the rules of the road.

Photo by Victoria Ortiz. Theresa Papandrea from Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids demonstrates the ABCs of biking to fourth grade students at Meyers Elementary School.

“Communities and public agencies around Lake Tahoe have invested millions of dollars into bike paths, trails, and safer routes for all, but education is just as important,” said Rory Lepore, assistant transportation planner at TRPA. “Teaching kids how to ride safely and confidently along Tahoe’s growing network of bike paths and shared-use trails helps more families choose biking and walking for everyday trips.”

Over the month, instructors connected with hundreds of Lake Tahoe Unified School District fourth graders through classroom education and Bike to School events, just in time for Tahoe Bike Month which runs through June. According to students, one of the most memorable demonstrations was the watermelon drop, where educators dropped a watermelon, once with and once without being fitted with a helmet, to show the real-life importance of head protection.

The month of youth-focused activities culminated with Bike and Walk to School Week May 26–29, with 266 students participating throughout the week.

“I love bringing this Safe Routes to School curriculum into my classroom because it increases walking and biking rates while reducing traffic congestion around schools,” said Tahoe Valley Elementary School PE teacher Tasha Thomas.

The Lake Tahoe Unified School District also launched a bicycle registration program this spring that complements classroom education. The registration program is helping students and families better understand e-bike classifications, safety expectations, and responsible riding.

The Safe Routes to School pilot also incorporates the popular bike rodeos. This year, TRPA and the California Highway Patrol have held four bike rodeos with more than 800 Lake Tahoe Unified School District students. The rodeos teach students how to inspect bikes, maintain safe tire inflation, and practice bike handling skills through obstacle courses.

Photo by TRPA. TRPA Long Range Associate Planner Michelle Brown teaches bike handling skills at a bike rodeo at South Tahoe Middle School.

To launch the program, TRPA and Tahoe Bicycle Coalition partnered with consultants Victoria Ortiz of Tailwind Strategies and Theresa Papandrea of Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids to lead classroom education, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach efforts–something the partners would like to see continue.

“A key goal of this pilot is to build a shared, basin-wide vision for Safe Routes to School that will bring the support needed for the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition to make this a full-time program,” said Nick Speal, president of the coalition. “We also see opportunities to expand bike valets at events, ‘bike kitchen’ events for free tuneups and bike repair and maintenance tips, and other programs that make biking safer and more accessible for everyone.”

Learn more about bike safety at TahoeBike.org.

Caption: Theresa Papandrea from Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids demonstrates the ABCs of biking to fourth grade students at Meyers Elementary School. Photo by Victoria Ortiz.

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The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment. For additional information, contact Jeff Cowen, Public Information Officer, at (775) 589-5278 or [email protected].