SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — As more students in the Lake Tahoe area bike, walk, and ride e-bikes to school and around their neighborhoods, local agencies are stepping up to ensure they have the skills and confidence to do so safely.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Tahoe Bicycle Coalition have launched a pilot program to teach bicycle safety to fourth-grade students across the Lake Tahoe Unified School District.
National traffic safety data indicates that youth riders aged 10 to 14 face the highest risk of bicycle-related injuries. To address this, experienced bicycle safety instructors visited classrooms throughout last month, delivering lessons based on the National Safe Routes to School curriculum.
The curriculum covers helmet safety, signaling, bike handling skills, visibility, and the rules of the road.
"Communities and public agencies around Lake Tahoe have invested millions of dollars into bike paths, trails, and safer routes for all, but education is just as important," said Rory Lepore, assistant transportation planner at TRPA. Over the month, instructors connected with hundreds of fourth graders through classroom education and Bike to School events, just in time for Tahoe Bike Month, which runs through June.
One of the most memorable demonstrations for students was the watermelon drop, where educators dropped a watermelon—once with a helmet and once without—to illustrate the real-life importance of head protection. The month of youth-focused activities culminated with Bike and Walk to School Week from May 26 to May 29, with 466 students participating.
"I love bringing this Safe Routes to School curriculum into my classroom because it increases walking and biking rates while reducing traffic congestion around schools," said Tasha Thomas, a physical education teacher at Tahoe Valley Elementary School.
The Lake Tahoe Unified School District also launched a bicycle registration program this spring, which complements classroom education by helping students and families understand e-bike classifications, safety expectations, and responsible riding. The Safe Routes to School pilot also incorporated popular bike rodeos.
This year, TRPA and the California Highway Patrol have held four bike rodeos, reaching more than 800 students. The rodeos teach students how to inspect bikes, maintain safe tire inflation, and practice bike handling skills through obstacle courses.
To launch the pilot, TRPA and the Tahoe Bicycle Coalition partnered with consultants Victoria Ortiz of Tailwind Strategies and Theresa Papandrea of Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids to lead classroom education, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach. The partners hope to continue the effort and explore expanding bike valets at events, "bike kitchen" events for free tune-ups and repair tips, and other programs that make biking safer and more accessible.
Learn more about bike safety at TahoeBike.org.