BENEFIT TO THE DISTRICT’S RESIDENTS

The Everyone Rides Grades 4 and 5 (ERG45) program offers grade 4 and 5 students all over British Columbia an introductory cycling skills course where they learn to ride their bikes to and from school. Cycling education for elementary students helps:

provide a safe way for students to get daily physical exercise and independence to move within their community
to raise a generation of sustainable transportation users and safe road users
reach goals related to creating a safer traffic environment, climate action, equitable mobility, and healthy communities

In 2020, 1,122 students were taught bike skills in our ERG45 program in 11 schools across the CRD. Students were able to boost their confidence on a bicycle, improve their cycling skills, and increase their awareness of cycling rules and safety. A total of 58 teachers were actively engaged in the program and rated the overall quality of the course, 4.5 out of 5.

Graphic showing a 4.5 out of 5 rating for the overall quality of the bike education course

By the end of the course, students are able to identify the benefits of taking active transportation to school, both from an environmental perspective, and for reasons related to mental and physical health.

Providing cycling education in schools is also effective for creating a culture of cycling as transportation. The program impacts the larger community as well: last year, teachers and school staff reported that their school’s involvement in the ERG45 program encouraged them to ride their own bikes more often. Parents and families also reported a shift in attitude, now seeing cycling as an attractive option for recreation and transportation.

“We had 100 bikes brought to school for that skills lesson (needed to borrow about a dozen or so). There were a few students who admitted their bike was a week old. My belief is that this skills class resulted in more students and families focusing on cycling!” (Principal, View Royal Elementary)

Our top priority going into this program is ensuring the safety of all employed Instructors, partners, students, teachers, and school administrative staff. In general, holding a bike safety course is a relatively safe activity to participate in during a pandemic because it mostly occurs outdoors and can be safely distanced.

Students lined up on their bicycles on a grassy hill preparing for a race

Students lined up to begin their “snail-paced race”, where the winner is the student with the best balance at the slowest pace. Hope they all geared down!

A student in a red helmet practicing cycling skills at a simulated intersection on a playground

Students practicing their awareness skills on a pretend multi-use trail intersecting with a pretend busy road.

A fleet of colorful loaner bicycles parked in a row next to a trailer

Our fleet of loaner bicycles. Freshly sanitized and ready to go!

An instructor in a blue jacket teaching students about traffic signs at a simulated stop sign

Getting the hang of traffic concepts like “right of way” and following other rules of the road.