If there’s a bicycle education program to emulate in the Sacramento region, it’s Project Ride Smart for 5th graders in the North Natomas Transportation Management District. For those of you familiar with Rio Linda, this area is just west of the E Levee Road, sort of the backyard of where I grew up on W 6th St, now it’s all subdivision housing, but they do have some very cool things happening. Regency Park School is part of NNTMA and the only school in Twin Rivers USD to benefit from this excellent program. It was developed and promoted by Mellissa Meng about 5 years ago. Here, she stepped in on Day 1 to introduce the course. Every 5th grader had the opportunity to participate. Bicycles were provided. There was about 3 hours of classroom instruction, 3 hours of blacktop drills, 3 hours of on-street riding, and 1-hour follow-up/debriefing. This is an intense course and one reason why blogging gaps happen to me. 
L-R: Matthew and Elle. Elle is my co-LCI lead teaching partner this time. This is her website http://www.tinyhelmetsbigbikes.com/ 
Matthew is working toward achieving his LCI status by practice teaching with us. Matthew’s story is incredible. He was struck from behind in 2011 while riding his bike on Elkhorn Blvd. He generously shares his story to encourage everyone to wear a helmet. His brain injury left him without emotions and without the sense of taste.
arletelouise 