Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Allerton

Streetfilms: Learning Bike Safety in the Schoolyard

3:02 PM EDT on October 24, 2008

Robin Urban Smith files this report from P.S. 76 in the Bronx, where students wrapped up a month-long bike safety course with a playground "rodeo" on Wednesday. This June, Michael Needham Jr., a fifth-grader at the school, lost his life after a speeding car hit him while he was riding with friends near the Allerton library.

Watching this Streetfilm made me wonder if bike safety can be worked into gym classes throughout the city. It also brought to mind the words of former Bogotá Mayor Enrique Peñalosa:

In Bogotá, our goal was to make a city for all the children. Themeasure of a good city is one where a child on a tricycle or bicyclecan safely go anywhere. If a city is good for children, it will be goodfor everybody else. Over the last 80 years we have been making citiesmuch more for cars' mobility than for children's happiness.

Ben Fried
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Carnage

Report: Road Violence Hits Record in First Quarter of 2024

Sixty people died in the first three months of the year, 50 percent more than the first quarter of 2018, which was the safest opening three months of any Vision Zero year.

April 25, 2024
Department of Sanitation

Street Sweepers Could Nab Illegal Parking Under State Bill

Smile for the street-sweeper!

April 25, 2024
Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines: The Way of Water Edition

The "Blue Highways" campaign wants the mayor to convert a downtown heliport into a freight delivery hub. Plus more news.

April 25, 2024
Delivery trucks

DOT Will Spend $11M to Boost Off-Hour Deliveries

April 25, 2024
MTA

Gotcha-Heimer! Anti-Congestion Pricing Jersey Rep. With a City Speeding Ticket Drove to Manhattan on Wednesday

New Jersey's most vociferous opponent of congestion pricing parked illegally and once got a speeding ticket.

April 24, 2024
See all posts