Good sign
Yesterdays Post was on a rather sombre note, so let’s look at something hopeful. This is the fence outside youngest son’s kindergarten, (and note this 75cm high barrier is the only security measure) where the children park their bikes before going inside. It’s a cold autumn day, but still a lot of the children have opted to ride here with mum and dad, so hopefully they will remain open to this form of transport as they get older. One family in particular is very enthusiastic about this. Security here is pretty good as it is overlooked by the kindergarten- in fact I’ve forgotten to lock our son’s bike a couple of times.
A few days later I took Eldest son off to the sports lesson, and found the bike rack pretty full. I’d personally suggest that cycling is far more logical than driving to a sports lesson, especially in a small village, and I was encouraged on this equally chilly autumn afternoon that more children were cycling (and hopefully getting into the habit). It’s also good to see that there are more practical designs about for children’s bikes- I’ll have to look at those for Eldest Son’s bike replacement.
- Logical transport…
I’m thinking of suggesting a ‘bike Bus’ for children in the village whose parents normally drive to these sports lessons, but I’m not sure if it’s a good long term idea. It’s already been suggested these are in some ways a symptom of car dependence, and that they are used as an excuse by local authorities for not providing better pedestrian or bike facilities (as in: ‘You don’t need a bike lane/traffic calming, the bike bus keeps people safe’) Does anyone have any experience or thoughts?
3 comments
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November 22, 2008 at 7:14 pm
davidhembrow
David Engwicht is the Australian inventor of the walking bus (of which the bike bus is a variant). He points out in this very readable article what his intention was in coming up with the idea:
http://www.lesstraffic.com/Articles/Traffic/wbstalled.htm
It’s supposed to be a step along the way, not an end in itself, and the intention is that it gives children independent mobility.
Anyone who says “you don’t need X because the bike bus keeps children safe” is missing the point of the exercise.
The walking/bike bus should quickly make itself redundant, and become pointless if conditions are good.
November 23, 2008 at 3:39 am
xiousgeonz
I think the benefits of getting more people out there riding will offset negative side effects… the parents are more likely to be out there saying “hey, we need better facilities!” On the other hand, if it keeps people in the mindset that you ride a bicycle until you’re old enough to drive, that’s not good.
We’re going to be starting a bike bus at a local school with a principal that’s very enthusiastic about getting more kids riding to school.
November 24, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Andy in Germany
Thank you both, sorry some comments are taking so long to come up- they got caught by the spam filter.
@David: I’ve read the article, and than lost it, thanks for pointing me at it. The website is great too, especially the holistic approach about reclaiming the streets we live on, of which a walking/bike bus is a part. I think that’s quite possible here. I could see a potential post coming out of that…
On the other hand, politicians are pretty good at creatively missing the point when they see a chance to save money or avoid change.
@Xiousgeonz: The major practical issue I see is that children can’t ride to school until they take a test between 8-10 years old, and can’t ride on roads until that age either (That said, I do it with my boys so they learn how to ride safely). I also don’t know where I’ll get another adult to assist. Please keep us informed about your bike bus.