Last school year, the nonprofit organization Move Santa Barbara taught more than 6,000 students bike safety and riding skills as part of its youth education programming, according to executive director Heather Deutsch. She says of those students, 1,600 learned to ride for the first time.
"We think it's very important that every child learns to ride a bike and learns the skills to do so safely. It creates a huge sense of independence. It is something that kids love to do. Plus, it's great for the environment… It's great for kids’ health. and it helps us when we talk about land use and other elements that are particularly impacted by transportation," Deutsch says.
Trek bikes store manager Jerry Ferraro says partnering with MOVE to supply bikes to local elementary and high school students is one of the best ways to inspire a new generation of cyclists in Santa Barbara County.
"For us, it starts with the kids, so this program, for us to be involved, goes to the core of who we are at Trek," Ferraro says.
During an assembly event on Monday, volunteers put together around 70 bikes for schools in Carpinteria and Goleta. The bikes will be kept and used on campus during after-school classes to teach children things like how to ride, bike maintenance, safety and more.
"To show them that this is also another form of transportation that they can rely on," said Gema Jimenez, education coordinator for MOVE Programs.
According to MOVE, half of peoples' daily trips are less than three miles and changing just one car trip a week to a sustainable mode of transportation can have a positive impact.
"It's fun. It's healthy. It's better for the environment and it builds community," said Kim Stanley, director of education programs at MOVE Santa Barbara.
Funding for the bikes was provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety and sponsored by the cities of Goleta and Carpinteria.
