Kids and Bikes
Bicycle training workshops held in various locations around Boston have helped low-income elementary and middle-school students learn how to ride safely and how to maintain a bicycle — part of a larger citywide effort to increase physical activity in schools. The workshops are sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission, which is participating in the nationwide Communities Putting Prevention to Work program, funded by the Recovery Act. Learn more about how Boston is encouraging kids and families to bicycle and become more physically active by visiting the Let’s Move Blog.
Thank you so much for these workshops! Biking is much healthier than going by bus or car but safety needs to be taught for the kids to know to act in traffic.
This is such a great idea. A couple years ago I visited Amsterdam to discover that bikes were the only way to get around. Bikers and bike racks everywhere. If we could ever get our major cities to adopt this idea it could really change things. Anyone serious about this matter needs to go to Amsterdam to see it in action!
Steven, I was in Amsterdam last summer and I could not agree more with your comment. It will take a cultural shift in the US, but programs like the one in Boston is a great start. If we start now, in 10-15 years our cities would be much safer and more bike friendly, maybe even the next Amsterdam’s.
Great to hear about the success of this program, not only does it cut pollution and
congestion, it encourages a healthier lifestyle which is urgently needed if we are to tackle
the massive obesity problem in the US.