Education
CRCOG Bicycle Safety Education Program Underway
Why don’t more people bicycle as a means of daily transportation? Many believe that the roads are unsafe for cyclists, but studies have shown that much of this fear is not based on actual road safety and that education programs can provide cyclists with the skills they need to ride safely and confidently. In fact, bicycle education is the most cost effective tool available to mitigate people’s fears so that they can get biking, make use of existing infrastructure and ultimately utilize healthier, more energy efficient modes of transportation.
CRCOG has been awarded a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant to establish a bicycle education program in the region. The grant runs until September 30, 2010, and after that time we plan to transition the program to Bike Walk CT, a statewide group that advocates on behalf of bicyclists and pedestrians. To date, we have hired a Bicycle Education coordinator who has begun to schedule classes. An overview of the offerings is available here.
The classes to be offered are based upon the League of American Bicyclists curriculum and will be taught by League Cycling Instructors (LCI’s). We invite all interested to consider taking a class, regardless of your skill or experience, there is a class that will interest you.
The classes cover bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills, proper lane positioning in traffic, traffic laws as they pertain to bicyclists, and crash avoidance techniques.
Contact Beth Emery, Bicycle Education Coordinator, biked@bikewalkconnecticut.org, 860-522-2217 x227 or check Bike Walk CT for the latest course offerings.
Bicycle Education: A Workshop for Phys Ed Teachers
In cooperation with Bike Walk CT, REI, Bike New York, and CTAHPERD, CRCOG has sponsored a workshop for Phys Ed Teachers on a Saturday in April the past two years. This 8-hour class provides participants with a tested curriculum that they can take back to their schools. The class has been held at Berlin High School where participants learn about the bike education programs already underway. Please contact Sandy Fry, sfry@crcog.org, 860-522-2217, x220 if you would like to be notified when the next class is scheduled, or if you would like to learn more about the class.
CRCOG Class: Bicycle Safety and Design Workshop for Town Engineers and Planners
CRCOG has developed a 4-hour workshop on bicycle safety and infrastructure. This class will help you to look at your roadway infrastructure from the point of view of a bicyclist. The class will help to answer the following questions:
- How do bicyclists use the road network?
- Why do bicyclists sometimes ride in the center of a lane, or sometimes even to the left of other vehicles?
- What are the major roadway hazards for bicyclists?
- How are cyclists taught to operate safely on the road?
The class is designed for town engineers and town planners and will include in class time and on bike time. The course is taught by League of American Bicyclists’ Cycling Instructors (LCIs) who also work in the field of transportation.. Contact Sandy Fry, sfry@crcog.org, 860-522-2217 x220, if you would like to schedule a class in your town.
Become a Bicycle Instructor
CRCOG and Bike Walk CT plan to sponsor a League Cycling Instructor class in fall 2010 or spring 2011. This is an intense weekend long class that trains bicyclists to become League Cycling Instructors or LCIs. Please let Beth Emery (biked@bikewalkconnecticut.org, 860-522-2217 x227) know if you are interested in this class. You must complete a preparatory class (the League of American Bicyclists Traffic Skills 101) before you can enroll in the instructor class.
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