Transportation Choices Sunshine Coast (TraC) has announced a bike skills and road safety program for Sunshine Coast elementary schools. The project will be implemented in collaboration with School District No. 46 and with the generous support of local businesses Coastal Craft Yachts, Howe Sound Pulp and Paper, and Harbour Air, as well as the local RCMP.
Approximately 475 Grade 4 and 5 students will be trained in bike and road safety skills starting this spring. TraC initiated this project as part of its efforts to encourage a local culture of active transportation.
Marina Stjepovic, TraC director and coordinator of the annual Bike to School Week event, reports that the event has grown in popularity over the past few years, with upwards of 60 to 80 per cent student participation at some schools.
“We’re excited to see so many more kids biking and walking to school, but we also noticed a real need to educate them about how to stay safe on the roads,” Stjepovic said. “Bike safety skills taught at a young age will hopefully stick with the individuals for their whole lives, giving them the confidence to ride bikes, stay active and safe, and even to be responsible road users into the future.”
The comprehensive training will be provided by Sunshine Coast-based LIFECycle Bike Safety & Adventure, the leader of this kind of training in the Lower Mainland. Each class will receive in-class instruction followed by outdoor practical experience riding, learning and using newly acquired skills.
Surveys will be undertaken to measure results and effectiveness. TraC will then work with the school district to assess how well the project worked, and to find ways to continue the training for future grade four and five students.
TraC is a local not-for-profit volunteer group advocating for active forms of transportation – such as biking, walking, and public transit – as alternatives to private vehicles.
