Cpl. Shane Haskell of Clinton knows how to put on a bike rodeo. With volunteers from the local police department, fire department, national guard, county sheriff department, and Riverbend Bicycle Club, Clinton put on one of the best-staffed bike rodeos I’ve participated in. Bicycle Station & Jensen Oil was on site to tune up any bikes that needed it so they could participate, while the local cycling club had free helmets to make sure every young rider had properly fitting protection. Other organizations participated as vendors getting the kids free backpacks, stickers, pencils, bike bells, and other treats to make this rodeo feel like a real community event.
Cpl. Shane Haskell and CPD set up an obstacle course with twists, turns, and stops. An officer on a bike led a parade of kids through the obstacles and discussed the importance of stopping at stop signs and looking both ways before proceeding. Cpl. Shane Haskell said the benefits of holding the rodeo in a central location at the park in the afternoon were the diversity of participants from the Clinton communtiy getting to participate and making sure everyone could learn about the importance of cycling safety while having fun and getting to enjoy a free hot dog too.
I got to Clinton a little early to explore the town by bike and I was pleasantly surprised. A great trail along the Mississippi with fun stops and even a bike share if you want to borrow a cruiser, and great two way bike lanes downtown make me feel hopeful for Safe Routes in Clinton and the city becoming a cycling destination in the state.
Iowa Safe Routes to School is funded through a matching grant, help us raise our 20% of the grant right here to continue our efforts to expand active transportation opportunities across the state. Thank you.
