Make cycling to school safer
Make cycling to school safer
Posted on 20 Sep 2022
There is a growing movement demanding that roads be made safer for children to cycle to school, with local authorities being called on to redesign local roads and neighbourhoods to provide safer cycling and walking routes to school.
Charity Cycling UK has highlighted some of the initiatives taking place, which we are happy to share. There are plenty of ways to get directly involved, support our young people and call for change that will benefit children and adults alike.
In Glasgow, the Shawlands Bike Bus has been increasing the size of its Friday morning peloton. The organisers have now been given a gadget by the council which helps them control a set of traffic lights on the route to provide safe passage for the children.
Bike buses are springing up all over the country giving kids a safe, fun way to get to school, usually once a week. Bike buses are run by parents and volunteers, so if there’s one near you and you have time to help, why not offer your support, or set up your own bike bus to your local school.
This week, a series of family-friendly Kidical Mass rides will be taking place across the world, including in the UK. The global Kidical Mass movement recently reached the UK and has spread rapidly, giving children a voice and telling a positive story of how our streets and communities can be made better for people, both young and old. A Kidical Mass ride is a fun, peaceful and friendly way to show your support for children riding bikes and an excellent way to help children tell decision-makers, ‘they’re our streets too’.
When it comes to effecting change, your local councillors are the ones who have the power to make streets around schools and along routes to school safe for children to walk and cycle. They’re the ones who spend the money and make the decisions about which projects go ahead.
You can also connect with Cycling UK’s Cycle Advocacy Network and be kept in the loop about simple actions you can take for cycling.