Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission has given Fayette County Public Schools another boost for safety education initiatives.

With the $20,755 grant, the district will be able to buy about 60 durable bikes in Phase 2 of the plan “It’s About Kids – Riding Bikes,” as well as resource booklets.  

The bikes will rotate among schools for safety lessons, and physical education teachers may also reserve them for bicycle rodeos on field days.

“We’ll combine bicycle safety (curriculum) with riding at school,” said Betty White, the district’s practical living specialist.

In the fall of 2009, FCPS was awarded $9,300 from the Paula Nye Memorial Educational Grant program, which enabled all elementary P.E. teachers to receive training from certified cycling instructors in the League of American Bicyclists.

In addition, the district bought 80 helmets and four bikes for demonstrations as well as reading material on the basics of bicycle safety and DVDs for teachers to use in the classroom.  SCAPA Bluegrass students also designed public service announcements that aired on FCPS’s Channel 13. All the elementary schools have copies of the PSAs to use during instruction and for school announcements.

Knowing how to ride properly and knowing the rules of the road are crucial for children's safety.

“We want to be proactive – not reactive – by educating our kids before an accident occurs,” White said.  

These grants from the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission are made possible by funds generated through the purchase of “Share the Road” license plates. The commission aims to bolster a culture of safe cycling coupled with the infrastructure to promote bicycle use for recreation and transportation across the Commonwealth.

“Bicycling is such a great form of exercise,” White noted. “There’s a lot of opportunity for kids to stay physically active throughout their lives by learning to ride a bike safely.”