JACKSON, Wyo. — Back-to-school season means time to make sure that bicycles are in tip-top shape, and Teton County School District (TCSD) is rolling out a program to register student bikes as part of a broader bicycle policy that is still in the works.
Friends of Pathways (FOP) has teamed up with the Teton County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), Jackson Police Department and TCSD to help students get off to a safe start to the school year. Members from the organizations, including FOP ambassadors, posted up at the Jackson Hole Middle School before and after school each day last week, checking more than 170 student bikes.
FOP Bike Safety Coordinator Jim Rooks told Buckrail the middle school sees more kids biking to school than other area schools. About one-third of middle school students ride their bikes to school — somewhere between 160 and 180 kids — and roughly 90% of the bikes are e-bikes, Rooks said. Over the past few years, FOP and other groups have made efforts to do this kind of back-to-school programming, but this joint effort is “by far the most comprehensive.”
“I thought one of the best aspects of the whole week was just a chance to talk to the youth about safety and following the rules of the road and stopping at stop signs and not riding while texting, which we see more and more,” Rooks said, later adding: “Just to talk with the kids individually in small groups and say, ‘Hey, listen.’ They know it’s a problem. I’m really impressed with the youth in the community.”
The agencies checked helmets, brakes and e-bike classifications. They made sure tires were properly inflated and handlebars and seats were adjusted correctly. As part of the “Got brakes?” initiative, they tightened more than 75 sets of bike brakes. Rooks said the groups discovered eight e-motorcycles that are not legally allowed to operate on pathways. To be ridden on the street, those bikes require the rider to be 16 years or older with a driver’s license and motorcycle permit. One e-motorcycle brought to school was tested and reached speeds of 53 mph.
The groups will continue to be at the middle school on Wednesdays for the next few weeks to check bikes for proper registration and to assist students who have not yet completed the process. Rooks said that parents are encouraged to get online and fill out the form to register their child’s bike. The completed online form is required, as well as a bike inspection at the school.
“The response from parents and students has been so positive and supportive,” TCSO wrote on Facebook. “We hope to see the community embrace and encourage the efforts these kids are making when it comes to learning and growing as members of their community! Middle school is a time where kids are navigating some major learning curves — so we give them some huge kudos for their participation in this new idea!”
The coalition of agencies anticipates getting to the local elementary schools sometime later in the month of September.
