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2005 |
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Next Metra Stop: Friendlytown! Health and Safety En Route to School Suburb's Streets Resound Briefly with Laughter, Joy Chicago Now Designated "Bike Friendly" |
Suburb’s Streets Resound Briefly
With Laughter, Joy Call it a taste of Bike The Drive. On May 26, 180 students from Veteran’s Memorial Middle School got on bicycles and took over Blue Island’s streets for two hours as part of the school’s Bike Week and the School District 130 Safe Routes to School program. The river of blue helmets (donated by Beggar’s Pizza) —aided by Blue Island’s finest — briefly shut down vehicle traffic on residential streets and big arterials, such as Western Avenue and 127th Street, while treating stoop-sitters and passersby to a parade of traffic that giggled, shouted and laughed instead of roaring, squealing and honking. Blue Island power brokers, including the Rita family, hosted water stops for the parade. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation prepped the kids during school two days prior, taking over physical education class to teach proper helmet fitting, rules of the road, and the ABC Quick check: Air in the tires, Brakes working, Chain lubed, and finally, Quick release wheels and seat properly tightened. After school on Monday, CBF fixed flats, shifters and brakes for kids (and teachers) who required small repairs for the Wednesday parade. Steve Buchtel is the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s Southland coordinator
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