This year Baltimore Family Alliance is celebrating Bike Month in May! The pandemic has illustrated that we truly need streets for people, not just cars. Our families have been confined to our homes and neighborhoods and utilizing our public space for walks, bike rides, and more has been essential. Because not everyone is back to school, Walkbiketoschool.org has is highlighting bike safety and advocating for safer and slower streets instead of in person events.
We want to know more about Baltimore Families biking and walking to school-fill out our survey here!
Monday, May 3 INSPIRE: Decorate your sidewalk, windows or bike with signs of encouragement to bike and walk for your neighbors. For motivation to get biking, older students and caregivers can check out this inspirational video from People for Bikes.
Tuesday, May 4 PREPARE: Conduct a bike safety and helmet fit check. Do you have a bicycle? If so, have you done a basic safety check? Check the fit of your helmet and teach others in your family how to properly fit their helmets. Then, do the ABC Quick Check with help from the League of American Bicyclists. If you’re teaching a new bicyclist to ride, check out this instructionalREI video for beginners.
Wednesday, May 5 GET OUT THERE: Get out for a walk or ride with your family! Can you take a test ride to your school or around your neighborhood? Or take a walk to hunt for chalk art or signs created by others near you? Share a photo of your family or a location on your route with the tag #bmorefamiliesbike and #BiketoSchoolDay.
Thursday, May 6 SHARE: Do you have safety concerns with walking or biking around your neighborhood? We are excited that Mayor Scott has adopted the Complete Streets Manual to ensure that roadway planning prioritizes mobility for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users, but adoption of the manual means nothing if the requirements are not enforced. Take a minute to let Baltimore City Department of Transportation know that you want them to ensure protections for pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and people using mobility devices by enforcing parking restrictions. #StreetsForPeople make the city safer and more accessible for all Baltimore residents. A sample letter can be found here.
Friday, May 7 TALK: Hold a five-minute interview with family members about their experience walking or biking. Look into online resources and biking and walking activities encouraged by your state or community transportation departments and advocacy groups.
