Children around Hudson County are invited to enjoy a host of free events on Saturday, June 6, including bike-riding lessons, bicycle safety tips, and running races.
The events are all part of Hudson Transportation Management Association’s second annual “Stride and Ride.” Children accompanied by an adult family member are welcome to attend free of charge at James J. Braddock Park in North Bergen from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Director of Hudson TMA Jay DiDomenico said that last year’s event was popular.
“TMA focuses on ways to get people from using their automobiles, and if you encourage families [and children] to bike more, you have a better shot of them using their bicycles when they get older,” said DiDomenico.
Children are asked to bring their own bicycles.
Staff from the TMA and its parent agency, the Hudson County Improvement Authority, as well as corporate volunteers from Pershing LLC of Jersey City, Girl and Boy Scouts, and the Trinity Riders motorcycle club will volunteer at the event.
All of the volunteers will be trained by Bike New York, a non-profit organization dedicated to bicycle advocacy.
“Learn to ride,” will teach children just that, and the second part of the day will be a “bike rodeo,” where participants will learn different safety procedures.
Bike rodeo
After registering with an adult, participants will go through the “bike rodeo.”
“The child brings in a bike to be inspected to make sure that bike is safe, if it needs to be tightened,” said DiDomenico.
DiDomenico said that there would be a station to teach children about tire air pressure, brakes, and their bicycle chain. Then there will be a helmet station.
“We will teach them on how to properly wear your helmet, [and] if it is not the correct size, we will replace it for them free of charge,” said DiDomencio. “If they don’t have a helmet, we will give them a helmet.”
Children will be instructed on how to property signal turns with their hands, how to approach a driveway, and what to do in different crossroad scenarios.
“When I was learning, they just put me on the bike and pushed me.” – Jay DiDomenico
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After completing the rodeo, participants will receive a “license.”
No pedals
The second facet of the day will involve teaching children how to ride bikes, where TMA volunteers will take training wheels off and the foot pedals.
“When I was learning, they just put me on the bike and pushed me,” said DiDomenico. “That apparently is not the right way of doing it.”
The foot pedals will be put back on once the child gains his or her balance.
Other activities
Members of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue Department will be present with their fire safety trailer.
The New Jersey Highway Safety Department will be sending their highway safety bus for children to hop on and learn more about pedestrian safety.
There will also be different types of foot races to get children “motivated about using their own two feet,” said DiDomenico.
Other TMA programs
The TMA will host have two Savvy Cyclists classes in the coming weeks.
DiDomenico said that the program is for mature teens through adults and is centered on cycling in the “urban setting.”
The classes, which are free of charge, will be held on May 30 at Frank R. Conwell Elementary School in Jersey City and in Hoboken on June 13 at Steven’s Institute of Technology from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Registration is required and may be done by calling (212) 932-BIKE at ext. 159, or by visiting www.bikenewyork.org.
Other programs at the TMA include one for commuters who use their bicycles to get to work at least twice a week. After setting up an account on their website, the TMA will pay for yearly maintenance on their bikes.
He said that even the simple activity of walking to school, rather than driving, lessons the “tonnage that is expelled by vehicles.”
For more information, visit www.hudsontma.org.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.