5 minute read
Muddy Buddies
Grade 11 Brooks Secondary students Reed Worthen and Ellie Winchell are part of a small crew of hardcore teen cycling enthusiasts.
Here, only about 4% of students cycle to school regularly, compared to about 25% across BC.
Even for the most dedicated students, cycling is a demanding way to commute to school. Why?
BY PIETA WOOLLEY LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
How often do you bike to school?
Reed • I started biking to school during 2020 when there wasn’t a lot of traffic, the Lund highway is notoriously unsafe so I don’t bike from Lund often. A solution I have found is staying with my grandparents in Westview which makes the commute quicker and safer.
Ellie • In the winter I don’t bike to school very often, maybe once a month if my friends are going. In the spring at one point I biked to school twice a week or more with a group of friends, but in the past year, as school has gotten busier, I only go about once a month, even in the spring.
From where? What’s your route? Who do you bike with?
Reed • When I bike from my house in Lund, my route is along the side of the highway, much of which has no bike lane or shoulder. If I bike from Westview, I can access the Penticton and Millennium park trails which lead to the forest behind Brooks. On my most recent ride to school earlier this month, I met up with Ellie Winchell, James Reed, and Eli Shostak at the Complex bike park where we rode for a couple of laps then rode Kingfisher Trail to the pole line, then to Brooks.
Ellie • I bike from around Myrtle Rocks. The usual route is through the Penticton Maze (Leta’s Laugh, Crater, to Manson extension) then along Manson until it crosses the pole line. We then take the pole line to the bike park to do a few laps there, then head to school along “Brooks Turf road.” I usually bike with a group of 2-6 friends.
Do you enjoy biking this route? Do you feel safe? Is it pleasant?
Reed • The ride from Lund is scenic, but not safe. I can’t ride it during the winter months because I would be riding in the
dark and as there isn’t a bike lane, it’s not worth the risk. In the fall and spring, I can bike the Lund highway, but once it gets into the summer months the highway gets too crowded with drivers that are unfamiliar with the road.
Ellie • It is a fun route to bike because we get to ride trails and the bike park but the Brooks Turf road can have some big puddles on it, so sometimes we show up at school all muddy. The route is fairly safe, except when we cross Manson to get onto the pole line and the Manson extension, and Nootka Street cross because cars coming down Nootka aren’t always expecting bikers at 7:30 in the morning.
Why do you think more teens should cycle to school – or does it matter?
Reed • I love biking to school, it’s a great way to start the day. Getting some exercise and fresh air early in the morning can really start you off on the right foot. It also connects you with a great community of like minded riders.
Ellie • Biking is a great way to exercise, socialize, have fun, spend time outdoors, and it’s good for the environment. If more people biked, I think we would see an increased interest in outdoor recreation and exercise.
Why do you think so few local students bike to school?
Reed • I have had to lock my bike to railings or leave it in an understanding teacher’s classroom during the day. If there was a safe, dry space to leave your bike, I’m sure more students and teachers would ride to school.
Ellie • There isn’t a safe easy spot to park bikes at school and it usually requires planning a change of clothes because of the puddles or getting sweaty before school. Brooks is also surrounded by hills – f you aren’t used to biking constantly, climbing up big hills isn’t very enjoyable.
What do you think it would take to convince more teens to cycle to school?
Reed • There is a lack of incentive. Last year during Go By Bike Week, QRCA had amazing prizes and rest stops set up through town. It would be great to see something of that measure happen at the school. I’m a member of the Brooks environmental club and last year we made posters to let people know that it was Go By Bike Week, but much more could be done to increase student ridershipBelow, Ellie Winchell. Photo above by Ellie Winchell. Below by Miles ArbourEllie Winchell.
Ellie • I think it needs to be more normalized as a useful form of transportation and encouraged by teachers, student groups, and parents, along with peers. An increase in safe paths and routes for students would also likely increase the amount of students who chose to bike to school.
How does it feel when you arrive at school, on a day you’ve biked in?
Reed • I feel pretty accomplished, especially after coming in all the way from Lund. You’ve just got to plan ahead and leave a change of clothes in your locker.
Ellie • I usually arrive at school with my friends and it’s great. Everyone has smile on their face, and I feel as though I have started my day in a productive way.
