For the nearly three decades, People for Active Transportation Hawaii (PATH) has facilitated regular bike education classes for Big Island youth. Thankfully, with respect to COVID, this year was no different.
On Monday, program director Paul Burke along with his staff of six, unloaded 35 bikes, 100 bright orange helmets and bike pumps from a large bike trailer at Kahakai Elementary School.
The free annual three-day bike education program targets fourth grade students teaching valuable lifesaving lessons and the importance to always “Ride with Aloha” – safely, responsibly, and respectfully. Coincidentally, it ties perfectly with Kahakai’s school-wide policy known as the “Three B’s” – Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful.
“We are one of the oldest bike education programs in the United States,” Burke said. “This would have been our 29th year, but we missed last year (due to COVID) so it’s our 28th year. We go to schools, both public and private, targeting fourth grade students.”
Burke said the annual three-day clinic at schools have become quite popular with the 501(c)3 nonprofit normally having a long wait list. PATH proudly educates 1,200-1,500 students each year going from 23-25 schools across the Big Island. Burke believes teaching students between 9 and 10 years are the perfect age as they are cognitively ready to understand the materials taught, and physically ready to learn proper bike handling and safety skills.
“One is, they haven’t developed a lot of bad habits so we can help them refine their skills while they are learning, as opposed to catching kids who have already developed those bad habits,” he said. “For example, kids who have learned how to ride a bike with training wheels, they are the hardest kids to teach how to ride a bike.”
Other bad habits Burke mentioned are youth who are inattentive while on a bike, riding “like they are bullet proof,” and being unaware of the spatial difference between moving vehicles compared to where they are on the roadside. Burke mentioned five things he would like students to learn from their three-day bike clinic.
“First and most important is, look out for cars and be aware of where the cars are,” he said. “Number two, wear a helmet. Three, know how to start on a bike officially, or what we call the power pedal position, so they can take off easily and have a good sense of balance. Four, would be to stop by using proper braking so they are not skidding. And lastly, visibility is always important – wearing bright colored and proper clothing.”
Longtime PATH League Cycling Instructor, Steve Fraser, PATH Bike Safety Instructor and Race Director Joe Loschiavo, and PATH volunteers Sharlene Gee, Rune Dahl, Bob Clark, and Karen Peitz Eberle helped to make PATH’s Bike Education Program at Kahakai a success by assisting with monitoring and directing students. Each student also went home with a new bike helmet.
In a previous interview with me, Loschiavo said, “Fourth graders are at the perfect age to learn this. It gives them confidence when out riding their bikes and it also makes them more aware of what they need to do to be visible and safe when riding.”
“We go into schools across the whole island for a free three-day clinic. We hold one day in class, where we teach them the basic A, B, C’s (air, brakes, chain) of checking their bike out, and then we do two-days out in the parking lot where we teach them to check their bikes but to also do their A, B, C’s on their own so that they will be safe when out riding their bike. And kids should always look everywhere. Right, left, then right again when checking for traffic. Never assume they see you.”
Loschiavo hoped that by teaching Keiki the importance of safety by wearing a helmet and bright clothing, and checking their A, B, C’s on their bikes before heading out, will help to minimize youth cycling accidents on public roadways.
Burke felt the 30-year program is a “win-win” for all.
“It’s a great program that’s really popular and we try to continually work with the schools and teachers,” he said. “We try to collect as much feedback as we possibly can back from the schools to see if there is anything more that we can do. We always want the best.”
Columnist Note: PATH is looking for a new home to park their bike trailer. If anyone is interested, please email Joe Loschiavo at joe.loschiavo@pathhawaii.org.
