Boston, USA offers free bike riding lessons to children
City's Mayor Michelle Wu launches initiative to boost physical activity and share cycling life skills
James Howell-Jones
Junior Writer
Image by Sylwia Aptacy from Pixabay
YouGov data shows that 12% of people in the Northeast region of the United States can't ride a bike. Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, is putting steps in place to make sure that number is lower for the next generation.
In collaboration with several local organisations, Wu has launched an initiative offering free bike lessons for children at 15 different locations across Boston. The lessons are part of the city's 'Connect, Learn, Explore: Boston's Commitment to Youth' initiative, which aims for every child in Boston to learn how to bike, swim and engage with their community.
“Biking isn’t just a recreation, it’s an essential life skill, ensuring mobility and independence,” said Wu. “Every child should have a chance to acquire it.”
For the first year, the programme has the capacity to teach 300 children, but there are plans to increase the scale of the initiative in future years.