Walking and cycling to school in the ACT

poetix said :

I still think parents who let primary school children ride or walk on their own, without an adult, are irresponsible, however mature their child seems to be. They’re children, and often distracted or dreaming or showing off to their friends. We expect them to be properly supervised at school, yet some people are happy to let them take full responsibility for dodging cars on the way there. Bizarre.

It is important that children become resilient in their environment. Children need to explore there neighbourhood and become confident, most children by years 5 & 6 should be able to walk and cycle to school unaccompanied. In the Netherlands children are taught about road rules from a very early age and walk and cycle independently from about 8 years old ,they also take a cycle proficiency test in the last year of primary school as the majority of high school students cycle to school, usually over some long distances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4J5havWlf8&list=FLzJfemZXZlqZBWxUKLsxDpw&index=7

Bad Seed said :

Both my kids ride but I live in mortal terror of the one road they need to cross. They are 9 and 11 and have a lovely run to school, bike paths most of the way but must cross one road – the deadly Bugden Ave in Fadden. Its a marked crossing – one of those wombats or whatever they are called (the ones with the humps). The problem is that its not a busy crossing (for pedestrians) and its at the bottom of a hill and the @#$%%@%# traffic just DOES NOT STOP. Most mornings I actually walk with them so I can shake my fist and scream at cars and buses who just roar through and nearly wipe us out. I hav visions of me still standing there when the kids are in Year 12, doing the same thing. I have taught them to be traffic aware – to know that despite it being a pedestrian crssing, that traffic may not stop and not to cross unless they are sure the cars have stopped but it is an absolute nightmare. They actually need to make eye contact with each driver to make sure they are seen. I live in constant fear of the days when I know I will have to let them go on their own and something will happen. Between that and the feral magpie close to the school that is now on its 4th year determined to wipe out every school cyclist that goes past, its fraught going to school under your own steam.

When I was trying to get a new zebra crossing/wombat crossing (never knew they were called that!) near our school I was warned by some parents that they are often harder to negotiate for kids. Younger kids find it hard to judge if a car is going to stop or not. So they have to wait till the car has come to a complete stop, then make eye contact with the driver and it all takes much longer than it would take an adult. And that is of course if the driver doesn’t lose patience and decides to drive on anyway because they don’t understand why the child is so hesitant.

But if it is a road where traffic is virtually bumper to bumper during peak hour, not having a zebra crossing makes it too hard for young kids to cross too. So the only solution that would really work here is a pedestrian light. But they are so expensive that they are very sparingly installed.

And rebcart: if you talk like a grumpy old man/woman when you’re 22, I worry about what you’ll be like when you’re middle aged.

Both my kids ride but I live in mortal terror of the one road they need to cross. They are 9 and 11 and have a lovely run to school, bike paths most of the way but must cross one road – the deadly Bugden Ave in Fadden. Its a marked crossing – one of those wombats or whatever they are called (the ones with the humps). The problem is that its not a busy crossing (for pedestrians) and its at the bottom of a hill and the @#$%%@%# traffic just DOES NOT STOP. Most mornings I actually walk with them so I can shake my fist and scream at cars and buses who just roar through and nearly wipe us out. I hav visions of me still standing there when the kids are in Year 12, doing the same thing. I have taught them to be traffic aware – to know that despite it being a pedestrian crssing, that traffic may not stop and not to cross unless they are sure the cars have stopped but it is an absolute nightmare. They actually need to make eye contact with each driver to make sure they are seen. I live in constant fear of the days when I know I will have to let them go on their own and something will happen. Between that and the feral magpie close to the school that is now on its 4th year determined to wipe out every school cyclist that goes past, its fraught going to school under your own steam.

poetix said :

I actually take the time to walk with my daughter every day, which allows her to have exercise (and me too!), enables us to talk, and ensures she is not squashed by some-one ‘dropping off’ their kids, and barely stopping their car to do it, let alone parking it in a proper parking spot. I have arranged things so I can do this, because nothing is more important than her welfare. I still think parents who let primary school children ride or walk on their own, without an adult, are irresponsible, however mature their child seems to be. They’re children, and often distracted or dreaming or showing off to their friends. We expect them to be properly supervised at school, yet some people are happy to let them take full responsibility for dodging cars on the way there. Bizarre.

Better over-protective than slack. Better cherished than lost.

Starting from first grade, I was expected to walk on my own to and from school (20 minutes each way at small child speed), and when I came home both my parents wouldn’t be home from work for several hours, so I was expected to open the door myself, lock it and make myself a snack while I did my homework. Inner suburbs of Sydney, so much more traffic than Canberra, and I had to cross at least one busy road at an intersection. Being distracted? Yeah, I frequently dawdled on my way home and spent an hour+ catching lizards off brick walls. Who cares? I had fun and more exercise than most kids these days, and getting myself to school on time was MY responsibility, which MADE me more mature. In year 5 and 6, I had to get home as quickly as possible, get on my bike and cycle for 30 minutes to get to extracurricular activities. Again, it was my responsibility – my parents were too busy to be personal chaffeurs, even for the activities I was forced to do rather than were my choice. And this isn’t in some sort of fictional baby boomer nostalgia land from eons ago, I’m only 22 now.

How do you expect your child to instantly become more mature? Just by growing older? Maturity is developed, not given as a magical gift on a particular birthdate.

The only reason to be overprotective is to make yourself somehow feel less guilty. It does nothing for the child, who grows up feeling untrusted to do things on their own and will later in life be more likely to be anxious and clingy (seen all those stories of American kids who run crying to their mums to sort out college subject changes and job interviews for them, because they’ve never had to do anything themselves?)

There are plenty of primary school age children out there doing just as I did, and that’s NORMAL. It was always seen as normal until only a few decades ago, if that. The way I see it, either your child is so retarded that she is genuinely incapable of taking on a bit of responsibility and learning to do things for herself… or you’re not giving her the opportunity to prove to you that she is stronger than you think because of your own fears.

poetix said :

I actually take the time to walk with my daughter every day, which allows her to have exercise (and me too!), enables us to talk, and ensures she is not squashed by some-one ‘dropping off’ their kids, and barely stopping their car to do it, let alone parking it in a proper parking spot. I have arranged things so I can do this, because nothing is more important than her welfare. I still think parents who let primary school children ride or walk on their own, without an adult, are irresponsible, however mature their child seems to be. They’re children, and often distracted or dreaming or showing off to their friends. We expect them to be properly supervised at school, yet some people are happy to let them take full responsibility for dodging cars on the way there. Bizarre.

Better over-protective than slack. Better cherished than lost.

Children need to learn to look out for themselves eventually. And it starts early with simple things like walking to school and crossing roads. If you teach them how to cross a road, you’d be surprised at their ability to do so without dying, being run over, or spontaneously combusting. You know how I know this? I learnt. My siblings learnt. My nieces and nephews have learnt. My friends did, too.

I think it’s great that you make the time to walk with your child to school. More parents should demonstrate that kind of willingness to make time for their children. Allowing a child (who is capable) to walk to school unsupervised isn’t careless or negligent.

I actually take the time to walk with my daughter every day, which allows her to have exercise (and me too!), enables us to talk, and ensures she is not squashed by some-one ‘dropping off’ their kids, and barely stopping their car to do it, let alone parking it in a proper parking spot. I have arranged things so I can do this, because nothing is more important than her welfare. I still think parents who let primary school children ride or walk on their own, without an adult, are irresponsible, however mature their child seems to be. They’re children, and often distracted or dreaming or showing off to their friends. We expect them to be properly supervised at school, yet some people are happy to let them take full responsibility for dodging cars on the way there. Bizarre.

Better over-protective than slack. Better cherished than lost.

Jim Jones said :

gourmetmumma said :

Jim Jones said :

poetix said :

There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic. I see really young kids doing this, and I simply can’t believe it.

Bollocks.

Plenty of kids do it. Damn near the entire generation previous to this one did it.

Everyone in my primary school used to walk or ride to school, and I’m not that old.

Reminds me of the recent article in the news about ‘marshmallow parenting’ ;).

Agreed.

Obviously everyone has their own style, but the mollycoddling of some kids these days is just outrageous. I’d say the risks involved in *not* allowing your children to travel independently is far greater than any risks that might occur as part of walking/riding to school.

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

Traffic situations are different for everyone too… And kids are different. I agree the dangers are often exaggerated – compared to when I was a child – but you should know by now that you’re not going to get parents on board by pigeon-holing them?

One thing that I do often notice is that lots of parents don’t seem to educate their kids on how to cross roads. They just demand that they always hold their hand when they cross and that’s it. Which is pretty damn useful to the child. I started teaching mine how to cross safely at about 3. We went through a long period of practicing, when I would let her tell me when it was safe. Took forever to cross those first few months! But we went through a whole range of scenarios that way and I know she knows very well what to look for, including things like how to deal with crossing near parked cars and close to intersections, etc.

But it’s important to remember that most kids do not have the ability to accurately judge speed and distance when it comes to approaching cars. So when I let my 6yo decide when to cross, she will wait until there is no car in sight at all. Which does not at all work for the busy road we need to cross to get to the school.

The Walking School Bus progeam was wound up because the organisation that administered it failed to receive a new grant from the ACT Govt. I think its the sort of thing that parents and the school could organise, but apparently its far too complex and requires a professional charity and govt funding to run.

Closing small local schools which enabled kids to walk and ride bikes didnt help. The irony is rich in a govt choosing to remove the options to walk/ride, then asking people to suggest how they can reintroduce the same thing. Perhaps i might make a submission suggesting they reopen local schools.

However it all falls down to parents ultimately. Too many CHOOSE to send their kids to schools many suburbs from where they live, eliminating walking/riding as an option. These are the same parents who bang on about how they have no option except driving to work every day ‘because of the kids’. (Waits for the inevitable indulgent parent whines.)

Die Lefty Scum said :

Cool picture. Got any more?

There are some on the ACT heritage library that are worth are look.

http://www.images.act.gov.au/

gourmetmumma said :

Jim Jones said :

poetix said :

There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic. I see really young kids doing this, and I simply can’t believe it.

Bollocks.

Plenty of kids do it. Damn near the entire generation previous to this one did it.

Everyone in my primary school used to walk or ride to school, and I’m not that old.

Reminds me of the recent article in the news about ‘marshmallow parenting’ ;).

Agreed.

Obviously everyone has their own style, but the mollycoddling of some kids these days is just outrageous. I’d say the risks involved in *not* allowing your children to travel independently is far greater than any risks that might occur as part of walking/riding to school.

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

Onceler said :

Too many cars driving fast and carelessly, makes suburban roads a death trap for cyclists – especially kids. If there were more kiddies riding bikes about the place, car drivers might start to be more careful. But for now, car is king – Catch 22.

We live in a cul de sac, and when my daughter is old enough to ride I’d like her to be able to ride on the street (there is no footpath – thank you, Belco town planners!), but you should see the way cars tear up and down here. Beggars belief.

Maybe you could ask ACT roads to look at a shared zone (Home zone-Speed limit 10-20km max.) for your cul-de-sac. The long list for footpath installation means you would have to wait some fifty years under current funding.
This option is certainly cheaper.

Watson said :

One comment on that website was pretty good, I thought. Amongst other things, they are calling for no 60kph roads near schools, which I would fully support. I have asked twice for a pedestrian crossing on the 60kph road past the school, but even though the roads people went out there and admitted that it was a very busy crossing and very tricky to negotiate, they said they could not justify a crossing when it was only busy during pick-up and drop-off time as it would slow drivers down unecessarily the rest of the day.

The fact that they hardly ever police the school zone speed limits does not help either. I see plenty or parents speed through ours! Makes me want to chuck rotten tomatoes at their shiny SUVs.

Pfft. I meant a ‘zebra crossing’ was what I asked for.

One comment on that website was pretty good, I thought. Amongst other things, they are calling for no 60kph roads near schools, which I would fully support. I have asked twice for a pedestrian crossing on the 60kph road past the school, but even though the roads people went out there and admitted that it was a very busy crossing and very tricky to negotiate, they said they could not justify a crossing when it was only busy during pick-up and drop-off time as it would slow drivers down unecessarily the rest of the day.

The fact that they hardly ever police the school zone speed limits does not help either. I see plenty or parents speed through ours! Makes me want to chuck rotten tomatoes at their shiny SUVs.

I cannot believe the irresponsibility shown by this site in allowing the video above to be linked. Every single one of those poor naked cyclists was in mortal danger as not one was wearing a helmet. Every second of that footage was agony for me, I expected to see carnage at every turn with those poor deluded cyclists’ heads being ripped open at every turn. Perhaps the gory stuff was carefully edited out eh Johnboy?

What’s next for RiotACT, links to snuff films?

Jim Jones said :

poetix said :

There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic. I see really young kids doing this, and I simply can’t believe it.

Bollocks.

Plenty of kids do it. Damn near the entire generation previous to this one did it.

Everyone in my primary school used to walk or ride to school, and I’m not that old.

Reminds me of the recent article in the news about ‘marshmallow parenting’ 😉

My 6 & 8 year olds ride their bikes or scooters, or walk to school each day. They mainly go along the bike path but a number of over-zealous magpies along that route has forced them to go an alternative way until magpie breeding season is over. They now have to cross 2 fairly quiet roads and I have taken the route with them and made sure they are abiding by the rules. If more kids walked/rode to school the amount of parents being forced to take risks with regards to unsafe parking practices around schools would be significantly reduced.

AG Canberra said :

“There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic”

What crap. Canberra has the best network of bike paths and over and underpasses in the country. I am more than happy for my 8 and 10 year olds to ride to school – safe in the knowledge that they don’t have to cross a single road. Yes they have to ride an extra 500m to do it but that’s fine – they are full of energy anyway!

It’s very nice for you and your kids that you live on the right side of the school. We however live on the other side of the 60kph road that goes past our school and where I see drivers speed through the school zone every single day. We either have to cross right after a bend. Or cross an additional two side streets to get to the school crossing. Roadworks further North have meant that there is now lots of traffic on that road in peak hour. There is no way that I could let my child cross that road on her own until she’s at least 10.

We used to ride or walk to school together every morning. But recent changes have meant I often drop her off by car on the way to work. I usually find a park about 20 metres from the school crossing. Yet, other parents park dangerously there every morning! Pet hate of mine too.

I intend to stop bringing her to school by the time she goes to high school though. We used to laugh at kids being dropped off by her folks when I was that age! How things have changed…

poetix said :

This makes it too dangerous to allow children to make their own way to or from school. There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic. I see really young kids doing this, and I simply can’t believe it.

Reading the report it is attitudes like this which directly reduce walking and riding to school and also reduce the willingness of others to walk and ride. The report provides statistics on the safety of active transport to school in similar countries (US and NZ) – one fatality per 10,000,000 kms – or walking or riding to school for 15,625 years (or 198 of his lifetimes). In countries where active transport to school is the norm, with associated attitudes and infrastructure this increases to 156,250 years (or nearly 200 lifetimes).

Obviously there are risks in letting your children ride or walk to school – however there are also risks in driving your kids everywhere (both for them and for the pedestrians). As someone who was independently riding to school aged 8 (with responsibility for my younger sister aged 6 who was also riding) I sincerely hope I can provide this experience to my kids in the future. For the moment he’s riding beside me the 6km to and from playgroups – learning that riding is a normal (and fun!) form of transportation and learning how to safely navigate intersections as a pedestrian.

poetix said :

Although children may be old enough to know the road rules by 10 or so, a lot of drivers go through pedestrian crossings, or double park and cause chaos, even in front of schools. This makes it too dangerous to allow children to make their own way to or from school. There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic. I see really young kids doing this, and I simply can’t believe it.

Bollocks.

Plenty of kids do it. Damn near the entire generation previous to this one did it.

Everyone in my primary school used to walk or ride to school, and I’m not that old.

Too many cars driving fast and carelessly, makes suburban roads a death trap for cyclists – especially kids. If there were more kiddies riding bikes about the place, car drivers might start to be more careful. But for now, car is king – Catch 22.

We live in a cul de sac, and when my daughter is old enough to ride I’d like her to be able to ride on the street (there is no footpath – thank you, Belco town planners!), but you should see the way cars tear up and down here. Beggars belief.

“There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic”

What crap. Canberra has the best network of bike paths and over and underpasses in the country. I am more than happy for my 8 and 10 year olds to ride to school – safe in the knowledge that they don’t have to cross a single road. Yes they have to ride an extra 500m to do it but that’s fine – they are full of energy anyway!

Cool picture. Got any more?

Although children may be old enough to know the road rules by 10 or so, a lot of drivers go through pedestrian crossings, or double park and cause chaos, even in front of schools. This makes it too dangerous to allow children to make their own way to or from school. There is no way that a child younger than his/her teens should be allowed to ride a bike on her own, or even walk to school without an adult, ironically because of too much traffic. I see really young kids doing this, and I simply can’t believe it. Of course, if a parent can accompany the child on foot or bike, that’s the ideal, but many people just can’t, due to work commitments. I am totally sick of parents parking dangerously near schools, and blocking a clear view of the road, for those who do want to walk.

I love the total lack of trees in the photo! And locks and helmets, of course.

Surely the walking school bus initiative deserves a mention:
http://www.ywca-canberra.org.au/children_community_services/walking_school_bus

Although strangely it says it wrapped up in June 2011.. anyone got any info on why?

It had plenty of involvement in the surrounding suburbs here.

There were a number of contributing factors, amongst which were the increasing level of car ownership in Canberra families. There aren’t that many families left with one car for two parents and two children. These days you’re more likely to find one car per 18+ member of the household.

Along with that is the insistence on trying to squeeze 26 hours into every day. Noone wants to make the time to ride anywhere, when driving is so easy.

Then there’s compulsory helmets. Sensible people will wear helmets. Forcing people to wear helmets just makes it more tedious to ride a bike (because putting on a helmet is such an imposition on personal freedom y’know), so people opt for the comfort of the car (because putting on a seat belt isn’t such a hassle, it doesn’t interfere with the hair).

Wasn’t this mainly cause by closing schools closer to the children and opening super schools further away?