Creating Young Community Advocates For Active Transportation

Summer affords us the opportunity to test ideas and explore opportunities we don't have time to pursue during the school year.  One such opportunity is our recent partnership with BPSOS's new Summer Youth Bicycle and Environmental Program.  This new program is giving ten high school students a holistic, 6-week education in the funding and urban planning inequities present in their communities.

The students spent last week with us, going on rides all around Philadelphia.  Safe Routes Philly's youth educator Cy Maramangalam led the rides.  Together they explored bicycling infrastructure's impact on neighborhoods and livability.  Nine of the ten students live in South Philadelphia, a section of the city underserved by bicycling infrastructure despite high bicycling rates.

Cy with the students on the Schuylkill River Trail beneath the Walnut St bridge

Assistant director of education Diana Owens accompanied the group for part of the week, and found it an inspiring experience:

One moment that stood out for me was Tuesday's trip to the Schuylkill River Trail.  Eight out of the ten students had no idea this multi-use path even existed.  Later on in the day, during the group's debrief, many of the students shared how excited they were to explore this amenity again with their friends and family.  It has been an amazing experience to participate with this mature group of young adults, some of whom just started to ride a bike a week ago.

As a program concerned with bringing active transportation options to Philadelphia communities, it is refreshing and exciting to see this separate approach to the issue.  BPSOS's program is empowering students by giving them the knowledge, vocabulary, and leadership skills to become advocates for improved bicycling facilities and green space in their communities.  The week we spent with these students was revelatory for the glimpse it provided of the transformative power lying at the intersection of bicycling and community engagement.  The ability to organize and bring change to our under-served communities is not that far out of reach.