Bikes banned

Re “Just plain spokes,” Opinion, June 15

One big piece is missing from the puzzle of how to encourage biking in L.A.: encouraging children to bike to school. Currently, the school board says that it is in favor of cycling, but its policy allows school principals to ban bicycling at individual schools. My child’s elementary school is one of these; children are not allowed to bike, even with parental escort, until fifth grade.

If we encouraged kids to bike on short trips instead of habituating them to travel by car, we could do a lot to change L.A.’s car culture. But when schools are allowed to overrule parents and forbid this practice, it sends a terrible message.

L.J. Williamson

Granada Hills