Active Living News: "Frequent Biker Program Gets Schoolchildren Pedaling"

Healthy Community Design

In The News

Updated January 2008

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"Frequent Biker Program Gets Schoolchildren Pedaling"

As the rates of childhood obesity continue to rise, a unique program in Boulder, Colorado is earning accolades for its role in increasing the number of children biking to school. "Freikers" or frequent bikers, are counted using a unique radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on their bike helmets. Freikers can then earn prizes dependent on the frequency with which they ride their bikes to school. Since the program's inception, the number of riders at one school has more than doubled and the program is looking to expand beyond its current five schools. About $16,000 in funding for the initiative came from the federal Safe Routes to School program, with the money administered by the Colorado Safe Routes to School program.

To learn more about the "Freiker" program, click here.

To learn more about Safe Routes to School programs, click here.

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