Another very successful Bike to School day in Norwich
Safety was key and like they say in baseball all bases were covered
Good morning Norwich, As you can see from the posting below by Molly Riordan , this years National Walk/Bike coordinator, Norwich was preparing for another bike to school day. I am pleased to report that all went smooth and it was a success, and thanks to all who worked together to make it so.
8. National Walk/Bike to School Day Oct 4
From: Molly Hotmail <marymriordan@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2023 10:50:01 -0400
Please note that National Walk & Bike to school Day is October 4, and MCS will be participating as usual. Main Street will be closed from Huntley Meadow to Beaver Meadow at 7:30 am for approximately 10-15 minutes. Students will ride from Huntley, down Carpenter street and onto Church Street; Carpenter and Church will not be closed, but we hope residents of those streets will plan ahead to avoid driving past the bikers and walkers so we can keep everyone safe.
Thanks for your patience-MCS students really look forward to this event!
Molly Riordan
And the game plan was in place with last minute communications to keep things flowing smoothly. (See Molly’s message to the team of volunteers).
Thank you for volunteering to help keep our riders safe on the roads! You are receiving this message because you signed up to be stationed at a road junction. Please read the following information carefully.
Arrive at your station no later than 7:30 a.m. NPD will lead the bike train from Huntley, drive to the Norwich Inn, and position their vehicle across Main Street to block all traffic. From there, riders will turn onto Carpenter St., to Church St., and finally to MCS. This year the pre-k, KG, and 1st graders will not go down Carpenter St. They will walk/bike on the sidewalk to MCS past Tracey Hall.
At 7:35 am sharp NO cars will be allowed to pass. The Recreation department will provide the safety vests for us again this year. You essentially only need to stop one car, the others will fall in line, but your safety is paramount.
Do not allow any cars to pass through until ALL riders have passed. The Fire Chief will be driving behind the bike train. This year the pre-k, kg, and 1st graders will leave the library and proceed directly to MCS along the sidewalk; they will NOT turn down Carpenter St.
Notes for individuals:
**Hazen Street/Library (Rob Adams)--please block the road before the library near the entrance to the police station.
**Beaver Meadow/Main Street (Mara Child) PLUS Carpenter/Main Street (Kyle James & Lucy Rojansky)-you should work together: you are also closing the northbound lane of main street at Carpenter Street at 7:35! Don’t hesitate to reach out for clarification.
And here they come in a nice single file, just like in a parade
These few photos that were taken and sent to me by David Burtonbush, one of the parents on hand to take photos and watch as his children come through the finish line so to speak. From what I can see in the photos they were indeed prepared and all bases were covered with safety in mind. The police chief stopped the traffic at the appropriate time and the Fire chief provided safe passage behind the train of bikes also. There will probably be more photos coming and you should see some in the school’s newsletter. Enjoy!
Slowing down and making wide turns to keep it flowing safely
And as you can see they came in waves, and there were many bikers participating this year. I am awaiting the final count but well over 120 I would say, from what I saw.
Thanks to all who made this a safe event and thanks to my readers for your continued support of my blog. Please consider being a free subscriber and why not upgrade to a paid subscription as there are several options available to you. Click on the subscribe button to view options.
