Teaching Kids to Ride

Learning to ride a bike is a childhood rite of passage. But in New York City, children are often denied the opportunity. A variety of obstacles stand in the way: not every family can afford a bicycle or has a secure place to store one. There's a perception that bikes are superfluous in a city with such good public transport. Most importantly, the city streets can be a forbidding place for children to learn and for parents to supervise.

The New York City school system and other educational and recreational institutions here should make every effort to teach children to ride. Because almost all kids love bicycling — for both its sheer physical pleasure and the treasured autonomy it offers — cycling is probably the most effective way for them to absorb traffic safety information. In addition to giving children one of the most joyous experiences of childhood, school bicycle education offers a bonus for the city: it helps create generations of lifelong city cyclists — adults who ride courteously and safely and who are less apt to burden the city with traffic and pollution from motor vehicles. Education is sorely needed, too, for those adults who didn't learn to ride when they were young. (For adult bicycle education, see Chapter 20: Public Education.)

With little expense and effort, schools can compensate for the difficulties involved in riding in the city. In fact, according to a 1973 amendment modifying section 806 of the Education Law, New York City children are already entitled to in-school bicycle safety education; unfortunately, this toothless law fails to stipulate the content or the breadth of the education.