What exactly takes place in a Street Skills class?

Starting in January, the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) began offering a regular adult bike safety class called Street Skills. The Street Skills class is a free 45-minute off-bike session to help teenage and adult riders of all skill levels understand safety tips and techniques, the rules of the road, and gain confidence when riding in mixed traffic.

Street Skills Class - March 2015

The MPO finished their 4^th class of the year on March 11, 2015 and classes on March 18 and March 26 are completely booked. Since February, the MPO has had a wait list established due to overwhelming interest in taking the class. The MPO will be offering classes twice a month starting in April to the end of August.

During each class, approximately 20 interested potential and current cyclists get answers to their questions, ranging from which traffic laws do people riding bikes have to follow (generally, the same that people do when driving a car) to clarifying who has the right of way on the street in different situations. At the end of the 45-minute session, every participant receives a free bike helmet, free bike lights, a copy of the latest edition of the San Antonio Bike Map, and a reflective ankle or arm band to wear when biking or jogging.

The MPO has seen residents from all over San Antonio make the journey downtown to attend one of the evening Street Skills classes. Class members have been novice riders wanting to make cycling part of their exercise routines, families wanting to ride together to enjoy the community, experienced cyclists who want a refresher course on safety, and people who simply want to know more about riding a bike to become more comfortable riding in mixed traffic.

With questions encouraged throughout the class and even after, participants are able to learn about new approaches to increasing bicyclist safety around the region, educate themselves on how to be safe when riding, and help serve as ambassadors for good cycling behavior moving forward. 

For more information on the Street Skills class, or other bike and walkable community programs of the MPO, please contact Allison Blazosky, Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Planner at Blazosky@alamoareampo.org or by phone at 210.227.8651.