On a recent beautiful late summer morning, the City of Atlanta’s Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) and Bearings Bike Works joined forces to provide bike safety instruction to students at Sylvan Hills Middle School. Presented through ATLDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, the “Cone Crusher” bike safety event provided sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students with bikes, helmets, and an “obstacle course” simulating roadway challenges bikers face each day. Bearings Bike Works instructors helped students ride around a safe, protected course designed to teach important bike skills, such as handling, braking and cornering, “trail eyes,” and bike-body separation.
According to ATLDOT SRTS Manager Nichole Hollis, Sylvan Hills Middle School is one of 25 high-priority Atlanta Public Schools with an overrepresentation of traffic fatalities and injuries in its vicinity. Advancing its Vision Zero goal of eliminating vehicle-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2040, ATLDOT has targeted Sylvan Middle for focused safety planning, programming, and infrastructure improvements. SRTS brings together school and community partners to increase and improve opportunities for students to walk and bike safely to school.
Hollis said building community and school partnerships, such as the one exhibited during the “Cone Crusher” event, is central to providing impactful and sustainable safety programming.
“Sylvan Middle School is one of our key partner schools this year, and today’s bike safety event is a great example of how we’re working with organizations like Bearings Bike Works to make safety education fun and engaging,” said Nichole Hollis, Safe Routes to School Manager. “Teaching students the fundamentals of safe riding—from helmet use to traffic awareness—prepares them to travel confidently whether they’re heading to school, a friend’s house, or anywhere in their neighborhood.”
“Cone Crusher” partner Bearings Bike Works promotes bike ridership and safety by providing kids opportunities to earn bikes and develop life skills through their afterschool enrichment programs. Bearings Bike Works Cycling Program Specialist Nick Van Winkle said working with Safe Routes to School aligns perfectly with their mission.
“At Bearings, we are passionate about introducing youth in our city to the multi-faceted benefits of bike riding,” he said. “By teaching basic skills like braking, pedaling, shifting, and balance, we help students build confidence and competence on a bike. Most importantly, we want kids to fall in love with riding. Our partnership with Safe Routes to School makes safety education fun and memorable—ultimately improving the well-being of our city’s youth.”
