The City of Lexington received a grant for $13,500 to purchase up to 32 bikes to use for youth programs. City staff will use the bikes to provide group rides and classes for youth in summer camps and afterschool programs. Students will learn bike safety and maintenance skills while they gain experience and build comfort levels with riding.
“Our city is investing in new trails all over town, and we want everyone to be ready to use them,” Mayor Linda Gorton said.
The bicycles will also be used in partnership with the Lexington Police Department and the mobility safety curriculum at Safety City. Safety City features a student-sized roadway with traffic signals that students utilize while driving special cars. Miniature buildings replicating the community make up the “city” in Safety City. It is complete with a police station, restaurant and fire station.
As Lexington continues to add more miles of bike lanes and mixed-use trails, outreach efforts seek to ensure that youth are familiar with road safety and feel comfortable and confident on a bike. Program participants will discuss safety for other forms of transportation as well, such as walking or riding scooters.
The Lexington Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Department for Environmental Quality and Public Works worked together to apply for the grant that was funded by the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission’s Paula Nye Memorial Bicyclist and Pedestrian Education Grant.
The grant was established in honor of Paula Nye, Kentucky’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator from 2000-2005. This grant program is funded solely by citizen contributions made by purchasing Kentucky’s “Share the Road” specialty license plate. To date, the Paula Nye Memorial Education Grant has provided over $390,000 toward bicycle and pedestrian education programs.
