by the Claremont Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee

A previously published Claremont COURIER article in May 2012, “Active Transportation in Claremont,” outlined the benefits of walking and cycling for local trips. We focus here on sponsored Claremont active transportation activities, and invite you to join any of the following events that appeal.

Safe Routes to School

The Safe Routes to School program teaches safe pedestrian and cycling habits to elementary and intermediate school children in the Claremont Unified School District.

Before this program started, nearly 80 percent of our students were being driven to school, which contributes to traffic congestion, unsafe streets and teaching them, by example, that they should use cars even for short trips.

Recall that a child’s first bicycle is his or her first “vehicle” and the skills required include both handling the machine and proper driving behavior. By the end of this school year, we plan to complete the first sessions of classroom and school yard training at nearly all of the district’s elementary and junior high school sites. For more information on the program, visit www.claremontsaferoutes.org.

Cycle Claremont

Cycle Claremont is a community-sponsored activity where you can learn and teach others to become better cyclists. The focal activity is to have regular community bike rides where parents and schoolchildren ride together with coaches who teach proper vehicular cycling skills—obeying vehicle rules, signaling and being aware of other users.

Cycle Claremont is open to all bicyclists in the community and is meant to complement the Safe Routes to School program. Organizers hope to add elementary bicycle maintenance and skills-enhancement activities. Cycle Claremont needs more parents in its planning group to better focus on the most beneficial activities. Visist www.cycleclaremont.org to learn more.

Get Walking Claremont

This Claremont Senior Program sponsors Get Walking Claremont, weekly group walks that add a social dimension to this healthy exercise. All levels of walkers are welcome with subgroups available to accommodate those who prefer various speeds.

The Village group meets on Tuesdays at the corner of Bonita and Yale Avenues to walk around various neighborhoods.

Additional walks are held Thursdays at 8 a.m. on the Thompson Creek Trail and  Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. for a walk or a hike on local wilderness paths.

For more information, call 399-5488 or email getwalkingclaremont@hotmail.com.

Claremont Senior Bicycle Group

CSBG is an active group that has been growing for over 16 years and encourages adult cyclists of all ages to ride more. Regular rides are scheduled every day of the week, except Friday and Sunday. Each day has its variations with different distances and paces so that riders of all abilities can join. In addition, this group schedules an out of town event every month. To learn more about CSBG, visit www.claremontseniorbikegroup.org.

Demystifying Sustainability is a project of Sustainable Claremont (sustainableclaremont.org), email address info@sustainableclaremont.org.

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