Hinsdale Central bikes to school, Illinois Senate adds road blocks

The high schoolers from Hinsdale Central High School are setting trends in getting to school. On May 19, more than 40 kids from the area biked to school, where cheering student organizers greeted them and handed out candy, coupons for Caribou Coffee and water bottles.

Encouragement events like Bike to School Day proves that riding your bike to school is possible and very fun, especially when its 70 degrees outside. Riding to Hinsdale Central drew my attention to the lack of safe facilities for kids to use.

When I was a freshman at Hinsdale Central, a student was struck and killed while crossing the street. I shared this story with a student organizer of Bike to School Day, and let her know that her volunteering to run the event is making a difference. For readers of this blog, though, the challenge is giving our kids the opportunity to experience the joy of getting to school under their own steam.

On the same day as Hinsdale’s Bike to School Day, the Illinois Senate voted against an amendment that would require vehicles to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The bill is not dead, though. The Senate President is giving allies of human-scaled transportation a grace period to get more senators on board for the vote. Call your state senator right now and ask them to support House Bill 43, the crosswalk safety initiative. You can find your state senator’s name and phone number through Active Trans’ legislation page.