BALDWIN PARK – Baldwin Park Unified School District partnered with Bike San Gabriel Valley (SGV) and the City of Baldwin Park to teach eighth-graders at Holland Middle and Jones Junior High schools about the importance of bike safety.

Through bike safety classes, students learned about traffic rules and the benefits of using active transportation, such as being physically active and reducing pollution.

Classes were offered to eighth-graders in Think Together’s after-school program, with Holland Middle School students participating Sept. 24-25 and Jones Junior High students participating Sept. 26-27.

“Our main goal is for the students to know the safe ways to ride because this is a fun mode of transportation and a sustainable option that they can use as adults,” said Monica Curiel, a Bike SGV instructor and active transportation data coordinator.

Curiel presented bike safety tips such as the ABC Quick Check, which should be done prior to riding and includes checking air in the tires, brakes and the bike chain. She then led an in-class discussion on what cyclists can be ticketed for and how to ride alone and in groups.

After the presentation, students acted as city street-planners and designated bike pathways. Bike SGV provided helmets and bicycles for students to use in an obstacle course, where they practiced turn signals and drills on stopping and changing lanes.

“I bike to my friends’ houses so it’s good to learn about the rules so I can be safe getting to where I want,” Holland eighth-grader Donovan Campos said.

Campos was one of more than 20 students who participated in the bike safety classes at Holland Middle School.

Bike SGV and the City of Baldwin Park distributed front and back lights, and helmets to all students who completed the training.

“We want to ensure that students are safe traveling to and from our schools and to other areas throughout the community,” Superintendent Dr. Froilan N. Mendoza said. “We are grateful to Bike SGV and the City of Baldwin Park for helping us guarantee the safety of our students while also promoting a way to incorporate physical activity in their daily lives.”

This is the first series of bike safety classes that Bike SGV has brought to the District. Bike SGV works to promote a bicycle- and transit-friendly environment throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

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BPUSD_ BIKE_SGV_1: Baldwin Park Unified partnered with Bike San Gabriel Valley (SGV) and the City of Baldwin Park to teach eighth-graders at Holland Middle and Jones Junior High schools about the importance of bike safety on Sept. 24-25 and Sept. 26-27.