Walk and Roll to School

Upcoming Public Bike Rodeos:

Santa Rosa Police Department’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Outreach Program, in partnership with the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (SCBC), the Sonoma County Family YMCA and NorCal Bike Sport/The Bike Peddler announce the 1st Annual SRPD “Back to School Bicycle Rodeo.” A Bicycle Rodeo is a Bicycle Safety & Skills Education Event, appropriate for children ages 4-14. This event is free to the public.

When: Saturday, August 23rd, from 9am-1pm.
Where: Sonoma County Family YMCA, 1111 College Avenue (at Brookwood)

The SRPD Back to School Bicycle Rodeo will teach students how to ride their bikes safely, and will provide bike safety checks, checks to safety equipment, and in some cases, bicycle helmets to children in need. Specifically, the event will offer the following:

• Bicycle Skills Course, set up by Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. The course allows participants to practice bicycle skills like signaling, circling and balancing, stopping at intersections and stop signs, yielding, riding in a straight line, maneuvering and weaving, and more. The skills course helps young cyclists gain confidence in their abilities, empowering them to ride on roads without endangering themselves or other roadway users.

• Helmet-Safety Clinic, provided by SRPD. Children can have their helmets properly fitted, and the SRPD will distribute helmets (while supplies last) to children who don’t have helmets or whose helmets don’t fit properly.

• Free Bicycle Safety Inspections/Adjustments by Santa Rosa-based NorCal Bike Sport/The Bike Peddler

• Bicycle Safety Education. SRPD and SCBC will offer educational materials (brochures, coloring books, quizzes) and presentations, including the popular hands-on “egg-drop” experiment, which demonstrates the importance of wearing a helmet.

Children who complete the course receive laminated picture ID-like “Bicycle Licenses.”

Registration: We ask that participants register (for free) for the event. To register, call the Sonoma County Family YMCA Membership Desk at 545-9622.

About the sponsors:

The SRPD Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety program is funded by the Office of Traffic Safety and spans from September 2007-September 2009. The main goals of the program are to reduce bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and injuries and to increase bicycle safety helmet compliance in the city of Santa Rosa. Traffic safety activities including in-class presentations, bicycle rodeos, and community workshops are presented at elementary and middle schools in the Santa Rosa city limits, at community programs and events, and at locations reaching elderly and underrepresented community members.

Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (www.BikeSonoma.org) is a non-profit organization that works to promote the bicycle as a viable mode of transportation and recreation. Its “Safe Routes to School” program works to increase the number of kids who safely walk and bicycle to school, thus improving children’s health and the environment.

Top

Walk and Roll to School Day is October 8, 2008

October 6-10 is International Walk and Roll to School Week. This is a wonderful way to start changing many behaviors for the better; for our future, our children's future and the future of the planet. Walk and Roll is an international event with over 30 countries participating this year. While it is promoted once a year during October, many schools continue to participate in walk and roll events throughout the year.

This fun event can be a small independent one where a family participates by the simple act of walking to school. Even parents who normally drive their children can participate by parking a few blocks away from the school campus and walking the rest of the way. This can be built upon and expanded to include a group of friends to a classroom to an entire school. Even the small steps each one of us makes helps make a difference in the many problems that car dependence brings.

When the school year begins it is estimated that Santa Rosa's morning traffic increases by 30 percent. Not only does this bring headaches to all who have to deal with the traffic, the idling cars create additional pollution, the increased traffic makes for more dangerous roads and sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists, and getting chauffeured around everywhere in the cars is contributing to a nation of overweight kids.

But we worry about strangers harassing our kids. We worry about all the cars they encounter. There is an answer for the folks who would like to walk all or part of the distance to school; it is called a "walking school bus'' or "bike train.'' Parents supervise and pick up kids as they walk or ride to school. The pick-up spot could be a home or a bus stop. The idea is safety in numbers: more people, more kids, better visibility.

October 8 is International Walk and Roll to School Day and the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition is helping schools throughout Sonoma County to organize ``Walk and Roll to School'' events.

If you would like to get your school involved please contact SCBC board member Tim Gonzales at tiburcio(at)sonic.net.

Safe Routes to School Director Tina Panza 707-545-0153 or saferoutes (at) bikesonoma.org for more information




		Get involved! Sonoma County Safe Routes to School site Walk & Roll to School 10/8 California Walk to School Headquarters Five a Day Powerplay Safe Kids Coalition International Walk and Roll to School Safe Routes to School Director Tina Panza 707-545-0153 or saferoutes (at) bikesonoma.org for more information Safety links: Sprocket Man
					Upcoming Public Bike Rodeos: Santa Rosa Police Department’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Outreach Program, in partnership with the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (SCBC), the Sonoma County Family YMCA and NorCal Bike Sport/The Bike Peddler announce the 1st Annual SRPD “Back to School Bicycle Rodeo.” A Bicycle Rodeo is a Bicycle Safety & Skills Education Event, appropriate for children ages 4-14. This event is free to the public. When: Saturday, August 23rd, from 9am-1pm. Where: Sonoma County Family YMCA, 1111 College Avenue (at Brookwood) The SRPD Back to School Bicycle Rodeo will teach students how to ride their bikes safely, and will provide bike safety checks, checks to safety equipment, and in some cases, bicycle helmets to children in need. Specifically, the event will offer the following: • Bicycle Skills Course, set up by Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. The course allows participants to practice bicycle skills like signaling, circling and balancing, stopping at intersections and stop signs, yielding, riding in a straight line, maneuvering and weaving, and more. The skills course helps young cyclists gain confidence in their abilities, empowering them to ride on roads without endangering themselves or other roadway users. • Helmet-Safety Clinic, provided by SRPD. Children can have their helmets properly fitted, and the SRPD will distribute helmets (while supplies last) to children who don’t have helmets or whose helmets don’t fit properly. • Free Bicycle Safety Inspections/Adjustments by Santa Rosa-based NorCal Bike Sport/The Bike Peddler • Bicycle Safety Education. SRPD and SCBC will offer educational materials (brochures, coloring books, quizzes) and presentations, including the popular hands-on “egg-drop” experiment, which demonstrates the importance of wearing a helmet. Children who complete the course receive laminated picture ID-like “Bicycle Licenses.” Registration: We ask that participants register (for free) for the event. To register, call the Sonoma County Family YMCA Membership Desk at 545-9622. About the sponsors: The SRPD Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety program is funded by the Office of Traffic Safety and spans from September 2007-September 2009. The main goals of the program are to reduce bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and injuries and to increase bicycle safety helmet compliance in the city of Santa Rosa. Traffic safety activities including in-class presentations, bicycle rodeos, and community workshops are presented at elementary and middle schools in the Santa Rosa city limits, at community programs and events, and at locations reaching elderly and underrepresented community members. Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (www.BikeSonoma.org) is a non-profit organization that works to promote the bicycle as a viable mode of transportation and recreation. Its “Safe Routes to School” program works to increase the number of kids who safely walk and bicycle to school, thus improving children’s health and the environment. Top Walk and Roll to School Day is October 8, 2008 October 6-10 is International Walk and Roll to School Week. This is a wonderful way to start changing many behaviors for the better; for our future, our children's future and the future of the planet. Walk and Roll is an international event with over 30 countries participating this year. While it is promoted once a year during October, many schools continue to participate in walk and roll events throughout the year. This fun event can be a small independent one where a family participates by the simple act of walking to school. Even parents who normally drive their children can participate by parking a few blocks away from the school campus and walking the rest of the way. This can be built upon and expanded to include a group of friends to a classroom to an entire school. Even the small steps each one of us makes helps make a difference in the many problems that car dependence brings. When the school year begins it is estimated that Santa Rosa's morning traffic increases by 30 percent. Not only does this bring headaches to all who have to deal with the traffic, the idling cars create additional pollution, the increased traffic makes for more dangerous roads and sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists, and getting chauffeured around everywhere in the cars is contributing to a nation of overweight kids. But we worry about strangers harassing our kids. We worry about all the cars they encounter. There is an answer for the folks who would like to walk all or part of the distance to school; it is called a "walking school bus'' or "bike train.'' Parents supervise and pick up kids as they walk or ride to school. The pick-up spot could be a home or a bus stop. The idea is safety in numbers: more people, more kids, better visibility. October 8 is International Walk and Roll to School Day and the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition is helping schools throughout Sonoma County to organize ``Walk and Roll to School'' events. If you would like to get your school involved please contact SCBC board member Tim Gonzales at tiburcio(at)sonic.net. Safe Routes to School Director Tina Panza 707-545-0153 or saferoutes (at) bikesonoma.org for more information