The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - If you happen to see what appears to be a scene from Pied Piper (on bikes), don't be alarmed -- the children are safe. In fact, they're safer than ever. That string of red-helmeted student bikers, led by physi- cal education instructor Jeff Bartlow, is out practicing the rules of on and off-road safety.

In 2011, Waitsburg School Superintendent Dr. Carol Clark wrote for and received a grant to implement a Safe Routes to School Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education Program. The grant, a col- laboration between the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Washington State Depart- ment of Transportation (WS- DOT), focused on providing bicycle and pedestrian safety education to students. The goal is to enable students to walk and bicycle safely to and from school.

In 2012 Waitsburg re- ceived funds allowing the purchase of 30 7-speed bikes, 60 bike helmets, and a trailer for hauling the bikes. "One of the neat things about the grant was that it let us spend the money locally and we were able to purchase the bikes directly from Bicycle Barn," said Bartlow. Waitsburg loans the bikes to Prescott schools so they can teach the unit as well, and the trailer is used to transport the bikes to Prescott.

The grant required that instructors be trained by the WSDOT and provided the curriculum for the students as well. "I was glad for the training," said Bartlow, of the two-day class. "I'd taught a bike unit before, but after I was trained I realized what I'd missed. I learned a lot."

The first classes took place in spring of 2012, with students watching videos indoors before hitting the streets. They learn about the bikes themselves, the history of cycling, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Once outside, the students ride in groups, practicing the skills they've learned. "In a small town, kids are used to riding without helmets and riding across the grass and on sidewalks. This program teaches a lifetime sport. The kids learn to ride properly and wear helmets - hopefully, we're doing something that will change behavior even well after the class," said Bartlow.

He admits that discipline can be a challenge. "Boys will tend to want to do wheel- ies and ride with no hands like they do on their own bikes. With a group of riders, there's no way I can allow for that or they'll all be piled up." Typically, one or two vol- unteers sign up to supervise from the middle and end of the line.

Bartlow says the best part of the program is that "the kids are into it." Students en- joy getting outdoors and look forward to the class. So far two students, with no previ- ous experience, have learned to ride as part of the program. Both students were allowed extra time to practice with bikes before the program be- gan and were able to partici- pate successfully in the unit.

"It also teaches the kids patience," said Bartlow. "The other day we had one kid with tire air problems and another with brake problems. The rest of the group had to stop and wait patiently while they took care of their bikes. That can be difficult for mid- dle schoolers, but they did it."

The unit is currently being taught in three classes: 7th grade, 8th grade and a high school Lifetime Fitness class. The District would like to include the 5th/6th combined class, but with 41 students, there are not enough bikes or supervision to go around.

"This is one of my favor- ite units," said Bartlow, who plans to continue the training indefinitely. "It's not that often that you can teach a lifetime skill that you know kids are going to use in the future. Any time you can do that, it's a big deal."