Developing school-based cycle trains in New Zealand O' Fallon, Carolyn
Publication details: Wellington Land Transport New Zealand. Research Report 338, 2007Description: 39 s. + bilISBN:- 09780478309485
The cycle trains offered children aged 10 and younger, who knew how to ride a bike, the opportunity to practise their skills in a supervised, supportive environment. As recommended by the Land Transport New Zealand Being roadsmart document (endorsed by the Accident Compensation Corporation, Ministry of Education, and the New Zealand Police, among others), children under the age of 10 were riding with an adult who had responsibility for their behaviour and safety. Participating on a cycle train ensures that by the time children reach the age of 10 or 11, they are able to independently and safely ride their bikes in an on-road environment. The ability to develop and implement cycle trains will be a useful addition as a tool within the school travel plan 'toolkit'. Cycle trains can be seen as a complement to WSBs because they appeal to a slightly older age group - WSBs are most popular with younger children (aged 5-8), while cycle trains appear to be more popular with children aged 8- 11. This is similar to the experience overseas: children on cycle trains in Belgium are generally 8-11 years old. As with WSBs, the process for setting up cycle trains requires the commitment of a coordinator, who could be a council employee, a parent, a member of the school staff, or someone else in the community. It is not reliant on limited school resources (either time or money), other than making a space available for meetings and for the children's cycle training session.