Starting in January, the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) began offering a regular adult bike safety class called Street Skills. The class is a free 45-minute, off-bike session to help teenage and adult riders of all skill levels understand safety tips, techniques, rules of the road, and gain confidence when riding in mixed traffic.
The MPO finished their fourth class of the year on March 11, and classes on March 18 and March 26 are completely booked. Since February, we’ve had a waitlist established because of overwhelming interest in taking the class. The MPO will offer classes twice a month starting in April to the end of August.
During each class, approximately 20 interested potential and current bicyclists get answers to their questions, ranging from which traffic laws bicyclists have to follow – generally, the same as motor vehicle drivers – to clarifying who has the right of way on the street in various situations. At the end of the session, every participant receives a free bike helmet, bike lights, a copy of the latest edition of the San Antonio Bike Map, and a reflective ankle or arm band to wear when biking or jogging.
The MPO has seen residents from all over San Antonio make the journey downtown to attend one of the evening Street Skills classes. Class members have ranged from novice riders who want to make cycling part of their exercise routines, families looking to ride together to enjoy the community, experienced cyclists who want a refresher course on safety, and people who simply want to become more comfortable riding in mixed traffic.
With questions encouraged throughout the class, and even after, participants are able to learn about new approaches on increasing bicyclist safety around the region, educate themselves on how to be safe when riding, and help serve as ambassadors for good cycling behavior.
For more information on the Street Skills class, or the work of the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, please contact Leroy Alloway or Allison Blazosky at 210-227-8651 or via email at AAMPO@AlamoAreaMPO.org.
*Featured/top image: Allison Blazosky explains the rules of the road to Street Skills attendees. Photo by Leroy Alloway.
Related Stories:
Free Classes (and Helmets!) for Street-Smart Cycling
Future Pastime: Riding South Flores Bike Lanes in Protest
Four Reasons Why Protected Bike Lanes Are Good for Business
20 class mates and there is a wait-list… I have a brilliant idea increase the number of people in a class… At least to the ratio of teachers to students at our public schools.
When is the MPO going to get serious about bicycle safety? It’s an absolute joke there aren’t more good functional bike lanes in the urban core. All this talk about 1604/281 expansion and no money for bike lanes, what a joke. Some one, please, explain why bike infrastructure budget is next to zero.
One more criticism, bike parking should be taken more seriously. Have you ever seen a bike rack at the Alamodome, Houston St., or City Hall? No, you haven’t because there is none. Perhaps, MPO could partner with city run non-profits and provide money for more accessible bike parking in these cultural hubs to help have one less deterrent for riding a bike.
Thank you for providing classes and handing out free helmets, such a nice gesture.
Making an investment in biking infra starts with the public speaking out and up to your representative city councilman to make it a priority. I can’t speak much for the MPO but I do appreciate the efforts they are making to make the people of San Antonio bike safe.
Bigley, thanks for your comment.
In the Street Skills class, we thank everyone for committing their time to be educated on the Rules of the Road and point out that safer, more bike-friendly streets are a result of many links all working together. Not only does this include promoting Education but also Engineering (physical improvements like the Greenway Trails and quality bicycle lanes), Encouragement (programs like Siclovia that celebrate our public space), Enforcement (laws which require road users to respect each other, like the Safe Passing Ordinance), and Evaluation (efforts such as those by SA Bikes to count the number of bicyclists using a street segment before and after improvements to it).
The MPO works with many partners, from VIA to the City of San Antonio, AACOG and Bexar County, just to name a few, who are all working toward the same goal of safer streets and viable transportation options.
Also, be sure to take part in any public meetings and other chances to speak up for more bike-friendly streets.
A great upcoming opportunity: The Kick-Off for San Antonio’s comprehensive plan, SATomorrow, taking place Saturday, April 11th at the Alamo Convocation Center.