February 16, 2012
Contact: Megan Odett, KidicalMassDC@gmail.com, 443-254-2188
Kidical Mass DC, DDOT and WABA Team Up To Teach “ABC’s of Family Biking”
Kidical Mass DC, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Safe Routes to School Program, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) are pleased to announce the first “ABC’s of Family Biking.” This free event, the first of its kind in the Greater Washington area, will celebrate the joy of biking with children and introduce local parents to the tools, skills and equipment that can help them start biking with their kids. To be held on Saturday, April 21st from 11am – 2pm at Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan, “The ABC’s of Family Biking” will:
- provide an opportunity to talk to area parents who bike with children of all ages, from infants and toddlers through school-age
- feature the bicycles and equipment available at local bike shops to help parents bike safely with their children
- teach basic riding skills to children through free classes with WABA instructors
- present a special class to parents and their children on group riding skills for families that are interested in forming “biketrains” for children to ride to and from school in groups with adult supervision
- demonstrate riding skills with an easy group ride to help all participants practice their new skills and meet other families that share their interest in biking.
“Biking with my son has made the daily commute more fun than I ever thought it could be,” said Megan Odett, Kidical Mass DC’s organizer. “My goal in creating this event was to provide other parents with all the information I wish I’d had when I first started researching how to bike with children.”
According to Jennifer Hefferan, DDOT’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator, “a growing number of DC families are traveling to school by bicycle. Many families are asking me for safety tips about biking with children. This event will be a great opportunity for families to learn the ABC’s of bicycling with kids and to promote bicycling as a healthy, environmentally-friendly, and fun form of transportation. The event will also provide a chance for families to practice their bicycling skills in advance of the first National Bike to School Day which will be May, 9, 2012.”
What: The ABC’s of Family Biking
Where: The parking lot behind Capitol Hill Montessori School at Logan
215 G Street NE
The location is easily accessible from the Union Station Metro and Capital Bikeshare stations.
When: Saturday, April 21st from 11 am-2 pm,
Group riding class begins at 1 pm.
Rain date is Sunday, April 22nd
For more information, visit KidicalMassDC.blogspot.com and click on “ABC’s of Family Biking,” or contact Megan Odett, Kidical Mass DC’s organizer, at KidicalMassDC@gmail.com
About Kidical Mass DC:
Kidical Mass DC was founded in 2011 as a local branch of the national “Kidical Mass” movement, which promotes safe, legal and fun family cycling on city streets. In its inaugural year, Kidical Mass DC hosted six rides from April through October, visiting locations from the White House to Historic Anacostia and helping over 100 local parents and children practice safe riding skills.
About DC Safe Routes to School: The District Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program works to make it safer, more convenient, and more fun to get to school on foot or by bicycle. Since 2008, nearly 30 schools have worked with the DC Safe Routes to School Program to overcome barriers to walking and bicycling to school.
About WABA:
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is the national capital region’s nonprofit bicycle advocacy and education membership association. We have been serving the District of Columbia, City of Alexandria, and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Montgomery, and Prince George’s since 1972 with the mission of creating a healthy, more livable region by promoting bicycling for fun, fitness, and affordable transportation; advocating for better bicycling conditions and transportation choices for a healthier environment; and educating children and adults about safe bicycling.
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Ward 6 Public School Parents Organization 