I vividly remember learning to ride my bike in the empty lot of a local grocery store in my hometown in West Virginia. My uncle would jog behind me, holding the seat steady as I pedaled nervously in circles. As I gained confidence, we ventured onto the scenic trails along the river. Those moments remain some of my fondest childhood memories.
Now, living in a cramped New York City apartment, there’s no room for a bike, and the nearest park is too far to reach easily. While many brave souls navigate the busy streets on two wheels, I lack the courage to join them. My 5-year-old daughter has yet to learn how to ride, and I find myself grappling with how to help her.
Then, I stumbled upon an enlightening article: Washington, D.C. public schools are teaching second-graders how to ride bikes as part of their physical education curriculum—what a brilliant idea! According to a piece by Laura Evans in CityLab, the city’s director of health and physical education, Maxine Reed, implemented a program distributing 475 BMX bikes to schools in groups of 25 for several weeks. This initiative ensures that many children in the city, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, learn how to ride.
This program is part of the “Cornerstones” initiative, aimed at providing specialized education to help bridge the achievement gap between wealthier students and those from lower-income backgrounds. As Evans notes, urban biking often faces equity issues; as bike-sharing programs expand and cities improve their biking infrastructure, there’s a risk that low-income residents may be overlooked. A universal bike education program could mitigate that risk.
One significant contributor to the childhood obesity epidemic is the decline in physical activity. In my youth, most kids walked or biked to school. However, Lauren Johnson, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, told me last year that the primary reason parents cite for not allowing their children to walk or bike to school is distance, with safety concerns a close second. There aren’t enough safe bike lanes for kids to use, but research shows that more people biking and walking generally leads to safer streets for everyone.
Elected officials often hesitate to allocate space for bike lanes, believing that there aren’t enough cyclists to justify it. Introducing a new generation of kids to biking could gradually shift the balance from car lanes to bike lanes. D.C.’s bike-share program has already demonstrated a small yet significant impact on reducing traffic congestion.
I wish my kids could experience learning to ride as I did, but the current city layout makes it challenging. If biking were integrated into their PE classes, it would provide them with a valuable skill for healthy and economical transportation. Honestly, I’d love to jump back on a bike with them and ride along the river again.
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Summary
Teaching children to ride bikes in schools, as seen in Washington, D.C.’s innovative program, could address issues of equity in urban biking, promote physical activity, and help combat childhood obesity. Integrating cycling into physical education provides lifelong skills for healthy transportation and fosters a new generation of confident cyclists.
Keyphrase: Should Schools Teach Kids To Ride Bikes
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