It’s an early morning, and the sun is just slipping above the horizon. Even as cold and early as it is, students are making their way to school, some passing by Quebrada or the middle school on their way. Among these students are bikers.
It’s well known that biking is one of the most effective ways to get a breath of fresh air, enjoy a little exercise, and play a part in reducing carbon emissions. A systematic review of research on the health benefits of biking conducted by the National Health Institute showed that cycling results in “cardiorespiratory fitness in youths”, along with a reduced risk of cancer. Biking is also more healthy than walking because it burns more calories in a shorter time.
Thanks to posters and lectures, students have known about these benefits from a young age.
Biking also reduces carbon emissions, which warm the planet. Students can play their part in slowing global warming through biking. Biking benefits the environment far more than riding an electric car–lowering the carbon footprint by ten times.
Wellesley is filled with scenic trails such as the Fuller Brook that are available for students to bike on, providing a healthy and efficient means of travel. Being outside in nature is a great motivator for students to enjoy both the benefits of being outside and of biking.
Biking also adds a degree of responsibility that helps students mature and make more accountable decisions. Instead of depending on their parents or bus schedules, students can opt to bike–their schedule and extracurriculars determine when they arrive or leave from school.
Given these benefits, the high school should promote cycling by adding more bike racks, making biking to school more convenient for students.
A survey conducted by The Bradford discovered that nine bikers out of eleven students surveyed had difficulty parking their bikes, and agreed that more racks brings a degree of convenience to bikers. Some students described issues the lack of bike racks has caused: some students are forced to put their bikes off to the side on the patch of grass by the band door and others have had their bikes damaged because students have to cram their bikes into a limited space.
Although some may argue that bike racks are expensive to build and buy, the costs are small compared to the benefits to the students and the environment. Bike racks are easy to maintain and building them will leave long-lasting impacts that benefit future generations of students. There are plenty of places available for students to park their bikes including the circle of benches near the band door and behind the school where the buses park. There is no lack of options — so why won’t the school act?
The high school needs to take initiative to promote biking for students beyond informational videos or posters. We need more bike racks. Biking’s benefits are significant for not only students but also the environment, and weak support is not enough. The high school needs to step up and improve conditions for bikers — if not for students, for the world we live in.
