2006 Report

30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60602 Phone 312-744-8147 Fax 312-742-2422 www.bicyclingambassadors.org

Mayor Daleys Bicycling and Junior Ambassadors.

Executive Summary
In 2006, the City of Chicago dispatched a team of community outreach and education specialists known as Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors. Education is a key component in accomplishing goals of Chicagos newly released Bike 2015 Plan, which seeks to improve the quality and safety of the bicycling environment in the city. Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors were given the following objectives: To increase the number of trips made by bicycle, thereby creating more connected communities. To improve safe bicycling practices through education, thereby reducing the number of bicycling-related injuries and fatalities. To help all users bike riders, motorists and pedestrians better share roads and off-street trails. This group of individuals included six fulltime Bicycling Ambassadors and eleven Junior Ambassadors, as well as a program director and Junior Ambassador coordinator. Working in teams, these individuals appeared at events city-wide to reach as many Chicagoans as possible with safety education. Events included outreach and education at libraries, schools, festivals, athletic competitions, community bike rides, farmers markets and especially Chicago Park District summer day camps. This summer, Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors attended 377 events. During the 5-month season, the Ambassador team contacted more than 41,800 people with face-to-face education and an additional 2 million through media exposure. Most of the people in direct contact with the Ambassadors received bikesafety literature, including information about helmet use, bicycling for health and bicycling for transportation; all of them received encouragement to use bicycles more often and more safely. The Ambassadors also properly helmet fit more than 1,600 children and adults. 1

Bicycling Ambassador Laura helps a young rider adjust her helmet.

Event Detail
Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors attended 377 events in 2006. Each dot on the map of Chicago below represents one of these events. Event Type and Number
Initiated or Hosted by Number of Events Ambassador Staff 56 City of Chicago 40 Community 102 Chicago Park District 170 Schools 9 Total 377

The table above shows the type and number of events that the Bicycling Ambassadrors were able to attend. Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors attended a wide variety of events in order to reach a diverse group of Chicagoans. Media Ambassadors also appeared in the media 20 times, reaching an estimated 2 million people. Media appearances included a feature story on WTTWs Chicago Tonight. Ambassadors attended events in each Aldermanic ward and every Police district.

Focusing on Young People

In 2006, Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors directed the majority of their outreach toward children and youth, as indicated in the graph at right. The Ambassadors reached more than 24,150 children and youth with bicycle safety messages. One of the strategies to reach this target audience is the Junior Ambassador program. Junior Ambassadors are a team of teenagers who have completed a 16-week after-school bicycle safety and repair class through the After School Matters program. This prepares them to work alongside Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors, where they use their skills to educate other young people. Sponsored by the Chicago Park District, the Junior Ambassadors work for six weeks in the summer, from late June to early August. Their focus is peer-to-peer education and Chicago Park District day camps serve as the primary vehicle for this type of education. This summer, Junior Ambassadors provided

Chicagoans Educated by Age Group

Total Number Educated: Approx. 41,800 Youth 12% Seniors 8% Children 46%

Adults 34%

bicycle safety instruction at 159 Park District day camps. In just six weeks, the teens helped educate more than 15,800 youth and 3,600 adults. The Junior Ambassador program is the only peer-to-peer education program of its kind. 2

Evaluation
In 2006, Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors worked with Norwood Park Day Camp to evaluate the effectiveness of their child-specific bicycle safety messages. The day campers took a four-question quiz before and after the Ambassador presentation, to determine what they learned from the presentation. Two weeks later, the campers were retested for retention. The information gathered helps measure the success of current messages and also provides insight as to what could be improved. The Norwood Park day campers were asked to answer the same four-question quiz on all three occasions. Of the 87 campers who completed the quizzes, we gathered the following percentage of correct answers:
Question 1. Helmet Use 2. Helmet Fit 2b. How to tell 3. ABC Quick Check 4. Riding safety Rules Pre-Test 84% 88% 0% 30% 57% Post-Test 100% 89% 69% 91% 76% Re-Test 99% 95% 17% 98% 83%

Junior Ambassadors Angel and Enrique talk to campers about on-street hazards.

Based on this feedback, we learned that we should focus more effort in our day camp presentations on teaching the children how to tell a helmet is fit properly. This is something we will improve on in 2007.
Name: Age:

1. What is the most important thing to wear when you ride your bike? A helmet 2. Please circle the picture that shows a helmet that fits the right way.

Bonus! How can you tell? Eyes, ears & mouth test, or the helmet covers the forehead but not the eyes.

3. What are three things on your bike that you should check in the ABC Quick Check? Air Brakes Chain or Quick Release

4. On the street, bike riders should follow the same rules as car drivers. Circle True or False
Bicycling Ambassador Sarah helps a day camper make his way through an obstacle course during on-bike training. Above is a sample quiz with the correct reponses filled in.

Sponsorship
Primary Funding and Support Staff and program materials for Mayor Daleys Bicycling Ambassadors are funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety, and matching funds by the Chicago Department of Transportation. Program Sponsors A number of generous sponsors provided equipment, program material and support: Burley Design Cooperative Master Lock Patagonia Planet Bike REI Schwalbe Tires Timbuk2 Designs Uvex West Town Bikes Working Bikes Cooperative

Bicycling Ambassador Rod talks to cyclists at the Bike to Work Day Rally. The back of the Ambassador shirts proudly displayed the logos of our sponsors.

Junior Ambassador Ayleen leads on-bike drills for day campers.

Junior Ambassador Quamaine educates boys on bike safety at a community festival.