RALEIGH – Thousands of students, families, elected officials and community members across North Carolina will celebrate the joy of pedaling to school during National Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 9.
This one-day event provides an opportunity for communities in North Carolina and nationwide to celebrate safe, active transportation and raise awareness to any changes needed to make bicycling safer.
“Bike to School Day is a wonderful opportunity to bring schools, families and communities together and reiterate the importance of safe bicycling,” said David Howard, chief deputy secretary for the N.C. Department of Transportation. “While it’s wonderful to celebrate today, drivers should remember every day to give bicyclists at least four feet of space when passing, while bikers should always wear a helmet.”
Today, one day early, Howard and several other local officials joined students and families at South Smithfield Elementary’s Bike to School Day event in Smithfield.
In North Carolina, record numbers of students will be two-wheeling to school tomorrow and throughout May, which is National Bike Month. More than 200 North Carolina schools have registered events on walkbiketoschool.org, setting a new record for participation in the state. And while North Carolina is the ninth most populous state in the country, it ranks second in the number of registered Bike to School Day events.
The growing popularity of Bike to School Day in North Carolina is due in large part to Active Routes to School, a partnership project between NCDOT and the N.C. Division of Public Health. Ten regional coordinators are working to make it easier for elementary and middle school students in North Carolina to safely bike and walk to school.
Coordinated by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, Bike to School Day gives communities across the country the opportunity to join together in bicycling to school on the same day. The national event is part of the movement for year-round safe routes to school and encourages bicycling to school as a healthy way for children and families to travel to and from school.
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