National Bike to School Day Wednesday

Wednesday is the inaugural National Bike to School Day and students all over Fox Point and Bayside will join others across the country biking to class.

“Wisconsin students will join other students across the county to raise awareness about this healthy mode of transportation,” said Renee Callaway, WisDOT’s Safe Routes to School coordinator, in a press release. “Parents are urged to bike with their children to promote safe bicycling habits.”

In Bayside, two intersections have been a strong focus among parents and police. Pelham Parkway and Regent Road cross Brown Deer Road and there have been numerous near-misses according to Lt. Tom Henkel. On wednesday, Henkel said there will be additional police officers at each intersection before and after school.

"Incidentally those two crossings have received the most complaints about pedestrian/auto incidents and is the area of focus for our current pedestrian crossing enforcement operation," he said.

In early April, of the pedestrians trying to cross Brown Deer Road at those intersections and issued a total of 25 citations to drivers who failed to yield to crossing pedestrians.

"I think that what's made the difference in front of Maple Dale is that there are often Fox Point squad cars visible," Patch user Kris said in the comments of that story. "If Bayside were able to park squad cars in the Bayside Garden Center lot in the morning, when kids are crossing, maybe cars would start slowing down."

The National Bike to School Day is part of the Safe Routes to School program which strives to have safer walking and biking routes and lower emissions near schools.