Comments on: 10,000 New Bike Parking Spaces for London Schools http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/09/10000-new-bike-parking-spaces-in-london-schools/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:12:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/09/10000-new-bike-parking-spaces-in-london-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-40058 Larry Littlefield Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:17:36 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/09/10000-new-bike-parking-spaces-in-london-schools/#comment-40058 P.S. our second child is considering a variety of public and Catholic high schools for next year. All but one are within bike range, and in two cases with very inconvenient transit connections, a bicycle ride is almost certainly the fastest and easiest way there. But riding to school is considered out of the question -- far too dangerous. And I can't really object. P.S. our second child is considering a variety of public and Catholic high schools for next year. All but one are within bike range, and in two cases with very inconvenient transit connections, a bicycle ride is almost certainly the fastest and easiest way there. But riding to school is considered out of the question -- far too dangerous. And I can't really object.

]]> By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/09/10000-new-bike-parking-spaces-in-london-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-40057 Larry Littlefield Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:15:01 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/09/10000-new-bike-parking-spaces-in-london-schools/#comment-40057 "These are first class facilities for the next generation of London cyclists. We want young people to get the cycling habit, so that they grow up thinking that it is just as much a regular part of London life as getting on the bus, or Tube." As I wrote on Room 8 some time back, if New York wanted to become a cycling, low-obesity city, the best way to get there would be to skip the generation that votes for Lew Fidler and is set in its ways, and start over with the next one. Simple, free bicycles could be provided to those 11 and up for a small lease rate to those who cannot afford them, to be swapped for larger models as the kids grow. Kids could be encouraged to link up and ride together. Training programs could be instituted, with "licenses" for those shifting from the sidewalk to the street for the ride to middle school, in an attempt to trump the rite-of-passage for driving. If everyone was doing it, then perhaps kids wouldn't grow up like my teens -- afraid and unwilling to ride on the street. The problem is, some of the children would end up killed. And what politician wants to be responsible for that? Moreover, at the high school my oldest attends, a child recently had their bike stolen. The response was an e-mail to all parents with a note from the principal reminding them that the school was not responsible for bicycles, and theft was common. "These are first class facilities for the next generation of London cyclists. We want young people to get the cycling habit, so that they grow up thinking that it is just as much a regular part of London life as getting on the bus, or Tube."

As I wrote on Room 8 some time back, if New York wanted to become a cycling, low-obesity city, the best way to get there would be to skip the generation that votes for Lew Fidler and is set in its ways, and start over with the next one.

Simple, free bicycles could be provided to those 11 and up for a small lease rate to those who cannot afford them, to be swapped for larger models as the kids grow. Kids could be encouraged to link up and ride together. Training programs could be instituted, with "licenses" for those shifting from the sidewalk to the street for the ride to middle school, in an attempt to trump the rite-of-passage for driving. If everyone was doing it, then perhaps kids wouldn't grow up like my teens -- afraid and unwilling to ride on the street.

The problem is, some of the children would end up killed. And what politician wants to be responsible for that? Moreover, at the high school my oldest attends, a child recently had their bike stolen. The response was an e-mail to all parents with a note from the principal reminding them that the school was not responsible for bicycles, and theft was common.

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