More than 200 students, parents and teachers from Sherwood Elementary School joined city and school district officials for the first ever Bike to School Day event, organized by the City of Edmonds Engineering and Planning Departments.
The riders met up at two locations – Hickman Park and the intersection of 15th Street Street Southwest and 8th Avenue South– for the ride to Sherwood. After school, they were set to do the ride in reverse to their point of origin.
“Getting the young community active is a big goal at the City of Edmonds, and it’s a personal goal for me as well,” explained City Transportation Engineer Bertrand Hauss, organizer of the event and an avid bicyclist himself. “This is a bigger crowd than I expected, and I’m sure the great weather played a part.”
Hauss went on to explain that the event wouldn’t have happened without the help and support of an army of parent volunteers who rode with the kids, provided snacks and were stationed along the route to assist with traffic control.
By all indications, the event was a big hit with everyone who attended – smiles and enthusiasm were everywhere.
— Story and photos by Larry Vogel
This is so awesome to see, great work Bertrand!!
Let’s build the infrastructure so our children throughout Edmonds can safely do this every school day! Well done, team!
Great point Luke, about infrastructure. My first thought was do ESD schools all have bike racks? They were standard decades ago when everyone in the neighborhood biked to school, but these days maybe not?
This was a fun surprise to see students, parents, staff biking by the house. I’m from an era where we rode our bikes to school, so this brought back nostalgia. The students were so enthusiastic! Hope it remains an annual or daily (for some) experience.
When and where I grew up, biking (or walking) to school was just how you got to school. There were no bike lanes; the city required you to have a license that was put on by firemen at the fire station which was really cool. It was routinely drummed into you that it was your job to not get hit by a car and they always had the right of way just because they were bigger and could kill you. I don’t recall anyone getting killed, but broken arms and legs and knots on the head were pretty common (no helmets required).
What a joyful sight!
Let’s get going:
Goals:
1. Equity: all of Edmonds, all of Edmonds Kids
2. Do it Now! Funding in Tactics below.
More goals, add to the list. If you do not agree with goals, tell us why.
Tactics:
1. Council can initiate the added $20 car tabs. Raises $700,000/year.
2. Council can go to each of our 7 zones and sort out the best way to implement in each zone.
3. Council can even earmark $100,000 for each zone.
4. Schools are dispersed in all zones, work with the parents in all zones to sort out best practices. Free bike for all who do not have one!
5. Annual Bike tabs. One year free for all the “free” bikes by going to “safe riding” class. $x for all others. $.5x for all who go to “safe riding” classes held at each school.
6. Put up signs everywhere “Bikes Everywhere” Hitting a biker is punishable by Big fine and loss of license if convicted. Fines used to buy more bikes.
7. Need more money? Council can used “banked” tax dollars and add $400,000.
8. Council pass resolution to get started!
Other tactics? Add them. Don’t like a tactic, tell us why.
No more beer for Darrol. I thought the $20 car tab money was to fix potholes and sidewalks so we could continue to maintain and repair the fountain in the middle of Main and 5th. and create a more glorious art path up 4th. Ave. to the ECA with our available general funds money. Now, ” just one more for the road,” Haug wants to give away free bikes. And no, I’m not being serious. Or, mostly not anyway. ,