Cambridge Primary School (Hoppers Crossing)

Wyndham, Mel 202 C11

[DE&T Western Metropolitan Region]

Cambridge is our first pilot model school in the Ride2School Program.

July 2006

The biggest barrier Cambridge Primary faced in getting students riding to school was lack of adequate facilties to park bikes securely. Their existing corral did not offer cover from rain and was easy for thieves to climb into, which they did. The school was reluctant to encourage students to ride as they might have their bikes stolen.

The Ride2School program is working on designs and costings for visually pleasing, permanent shelters. In the meantime we wanted to get more students riding to school. Below you can see two secondhand shipping containers painted and retrofitted with Bicycle Victoria Junior Flat Top rails.

The containers offer increased capacity, shelter and protection for the bikes.

The Ride2School team addressed a special Grade 5 and 6 assembly to promote walking and riding. We also asked their views on the logo options we had prepared. We are going with what they picked. Listening to the students and supporting their efforts is one of our guiding principles. In general, we are finding that students are really keen to get on their bikes.

On the day of the meeting there were 25 bikes parked in the corral. On the day following the installation of the shelter, 38 students rode, an increase of 50%.