Two and a half years later Yass’ Learn to Ride Park has finally become a reality with local kids cycling around the track at the official opening last weekend.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said community projects like the Learn to Ride Park are a great benefit to everyone.
“They’re teaching the kids the road rules, what’s important when they are on the road,” she said. “It will save lives there’s no doubt about that but more than anything it’s building places for the community to go to.”
“The Yass Community Grants team have done a great job thinking of the initiative and really getting it all pulled together.”
Yass Community Grants Working Group volunteers Ania Wardle and Natalie Bishop said they were stoked to see the Learn to Ride Park realised.
Ania said it was great to know that her three-year-old son will have this space as he grows up, both to learn to ride and use through school.
“There are no pavements in most of the streets in Yass,” Natalie said. “There’s no safe place for children to get to and from school.” “It’s really important that there’s an area for them to be able to practice and have guidance from people that know how to ride bikes rather than just leaving it to chance.”
Natalie said hopefully the younger generation of children will gain more confidence and skills to learn how to ride safely near roads.
“It’s not only about your riding,” she said. “It’s about navigating the cars and the traffic.”
In addition to understanding speed, brakes, turns and indicating.
Natalie said Yass Community Grants Working Group asked Council for shade and water to be included in the original designs for the track. As well as an interactive Indigenous art feature in the centre of the track.
But it can be a step-by-step process so Natalie said the group will be interested in following up on these matters with Council.
Yass Community Grants Working Group encourages anyone who has the time and wants to help the community to join them at their monthly meetings.
By Brianna O’Rourke
