Summer 2026 BikeWise Program for Grades 6-8 Successful
The City of Dubuque’s Parks and Recreation Department put together a program for students going into grades 6-8 to improve street cycling skills. Called BikeWise: Street Smart Cycling, participants had a choice of two 4-day sessions in early June and late July at the Multicultural Family Center. The program includes classroom time as well as on-the-street skill building sessions. Intended to build real-world safety skills and confidence, the program taught students rules of the road including traffic laws and hand signals. Bike lane safety, visibility tips, and defensive riding techniques were also covered. Students also learned urban biking skills for navigating streets, bike lanes, and interactions with vehicles and pedestrians. They practiced daily in safe, off-street areas and progressed to short, guided rides through downtown, accessing the bike lanes. The purpose of the program assisted with building confidence and independence as students could discover biking as fun, healthy, and practical way to be mobile. The participants learned about bike resources and opportunities around the community, including how to ride the Jule bus with a bike, Fix-It Stations, the Bike Coop, Bicycle World, the Dubuque Scholastic Mountain Bike Team, trail maps, and the police officers who ride bikes. The participants enjoyed two trail rides: one going up the Bee Branch and North End Trail to Heritage Pond and another going around Chaplain Schmitt Island and up the Jaycees Trail to Dairy Queen. And a trip to Dairy Queen is always a reason to ride a bike! Jason Duba, Assistant City Planner, noted that the programs were successful and well-attended.
