Introducing...College Active Transportation Safety

Texas colleges and universities are promoting walking and cycling. They are solving parking problems, accommodating economic abilities, addressing sustainability and air quality concerns, and encouraging active, safe and healthy lifestyles for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Texas has the third highest number of annual bicyclist fatalities in the U.S. The majority (70%) of those fatalities occurred in urban areas. College students moving into urban areas to begin post-secondary studies are more economically and socially inclined to walk or cycle – some of them for the first time and without knowledge of campus area roads or safe riding techniques. For them, education about pedestrian and bicycle safety is important for increasing their own and others' awareness and safety.

To meet the need for information and education and to reduce motor vehicle-related pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has contracted with BikeTexas to develop, place, and evaluate College Freshman Active Transportation Safety instruction at incoming freshman orientation sessions in colleges and universities in Texas.

CONTENT

• Why Bike and Walk?
• Texas Bike & Pedestrian Law
• Safe walking and biking
• Pedestrian and bicycle conscious driving
• Mass transit use practices
• Use of safety equipment – helmets, lights, and reflectors
• College Campus Specific Issues:    Class Change, Distracted Driving, Road Rage, Prevention of Alcohol and Drug DUI

BikeTexas is currently creating a college freshmen presentation that will cover pedestrian, bicyclist and motorist safety and responsibility.

BikeTexas has a strong track record providing pedestrian and bicycle safety information and education. You can read our resume below.

Drawing on this experience, BikeTexas is reaching out to Texas colleges and universities to identify host departments, developing an Advisory Team, researching culturally-relevant instructional approaches that will appeal to diverse, college freshmen-aged, young adults, and creating modules that will fit comfortably into a spectrum of scenarios at Texas’ differing institutions.

We are basing the content of the instruction on the knowledge and skills taught in existing Bike Texas curricula and on needs expressed by colleges and universities during the current research phase.

 BikeTexas is working with colleges and universities to identify and train suitable instructors to present the instruction with the long-term view of creating self-sustaining programs adopted by hosting departments.

Following the first round of presentations during freshmen orientation sessions in the Summer and Fall of 2012, BikeTexas will respond to surveys to improve and finalize the instruction.

Based on past experience, BikeTexas believes that these efforts will combine to provide more awareness among pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers on and around Texas college and university campuses. The College Freshmen Active Transportation Safety presentation will increase safety, reduce pressure on parking facilities, ease traffic congestion, reduce deaths and injuries, provide positive take- away habits, and improve the quality of life for Texas college student bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.

BikeTexas Experience. BikeTexas has trained faculty at 19 Texas Universities, including faculty in the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas State University systems, as well as other public and private colleges in bicyclist safety. Our TxDOT-funded SafeCyclist program trained 4,036 college faculty members, public school teachers, and youth community workers since 1999. College faculty reported that after being trained by BikeTexas, they trained thousands of college students studying to be physical education (PE) teachers. With the TxDOT-funded SuperCyclist/SuperCollege program, BikeTexas distributes over 300,000 safety information booklets and other materials every year.

For more information about BikeTexas’ College Freshmen Active Transportation Safety for your Texas college or university, please contact Donna Hoffman with BikeTexas, 512-476-7433 (office), 512-299-5776 (cell) or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .