----- begin forward ----- Dear School Board Members
I urge you to change your policy #4233, and encourage families to bicycle to school.
My grade school years were spent in Cambridge, Massachusetts. From personal experience travelling all over Madison, as well as my two years on the Ped-Bike-Motor Vehicle Transportation Commission, I can testify that even today Madison traffic is calmer than Cambridge drivers 40 years ago. I learned how to ride a bicycle at 5, and my parents felt I was a skilled-enough rider to cycle two miles on my own to third grade (age 8).
This experience was crucial to my physical, intellectual, and emotional development. Even though I was an uncoordinated child, the challenge of cycling the hilly route (on a 3-speed) taught me that I was physically capable and strong. I learned my way around the city, and learned to watch out for other traffic--knowledge which served me well as a transit user and later, as a driver. I was able to observe the varied life in the neighborhoods I traversed. The trips to and from school allowed me to dream great dreams.
Time spent cycling together is time well spent. It's physical activity that Wisconsin citizens definitely need. It provides many learning opportunities for parents and kids to share. If cycling storage becomes an issue, I would think that area bike shops would be thrilled to discreetly sponsor bike racks at schools.
Thanks for the time you devote to a crucial task, and for considering my ideas. -- [land coordinates excised to protect the neighbors] ----- forward ends -----
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Jesse the K -- Madison, WI USA -- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
First they came for the verbs, and I said nothing because verbing weirds language.
Then they arrival for the nouns, and I speech nothing because I no verbs.
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