The Brevard MPO is dedicated to providing opportunities for people of all ages to learn how to safely use bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout Brevard. The MPO has a full-time staff member dedicated to this program. To learn more about our education programs, click on the links below or visit the Links page for additional bicycle & pedestrian safety resources.

Bicycle Rodeos

The MPO conducts Bicycle Rodeos year-round for a variety of groups including: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, schools, etc. Rodeos include activities to help young children learn important skills on their bicycles, such as looking for obstacles and obeying signs and signals. A rodeo may also include how to perform a bicycle safety check and how to properly fit a bicycle helmet.

If you're interested in setting up a Bicycle Rodeo for your group, please keep in mind the following things:

• All children participating should have a bicycle in good working condition.
• All children under 16 years of age are required by law to wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet and helmets are required for all rodeo participants, regardless of age.
• Adult volunteers are needed to assist with rodeo activities.
• Rodeos are best when held on a smooth, paved surface with at least 400 sq. feet (20 x 20) of clear, unobstructed space. Firm, well-packed non-paved surfaces can also be used.
• Rodeos are held weather-permitting - no exceptions! Even if it is not raining at the time of the rodeo, if there are large puddles or debris in the rodeo area, staff may elect to reschedule for the safety of all participants, or to move to an indoor location, if one is available.
• Rodeos will not be held after dark.

Please contact Kim Smith at 321-690-6890 for more information and to schedule a rodeo.

Safety Fairs & Exhibits

MPO staff is available to attend Saftey Fairs and other Exhibits to provide information on bicycle and pedestrian safety, how to fit bicycle helmets, Florida laws that apply to bicyclists, and many other topics.

Past fairs and exhibits include:

• Patrick Air Force Base events
• Kennedy Space Center events
• Melbourne Mall events
• Parish Health and Fitness Fun Day
• Titusville Jump for Joy
• World's Greatest Baby Shower
• City of Melbourne Employee Health Fair

To request staff participation in your event, contact Kim Smith at 321-690-6890.

Elementary School Programs

The elementary schools in Brevard are committed to bicycle & pedestrian safety, and allocate time in Physical Education (PE) classes to provide bicycle safety lessons. MPO staff assists PE teachers with these safety programs. The MPO also has two fully equipped trailers that contain bicycles and other supplies used to conduct rodeos during the school programs.

Contact your child's school or Kim Smith at the MPO staff office (321-690-6890) to determine if they participate in this program.

Bicycle Helmets

Through Brevard Safe Kids, the MPO distributes bicycle helmets to children who cannot afford them. Contact Kim Smith at 321-690-6890 for more information.

About one third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycle-related injuries involve head injuries.  A bicycle helmet cannot prevent a crash, but can reduce head injuries and prevent permanent brain damage. 

To be effective, a bicycle helmet must be fitted correctly:

1. It must fit the head snugly.  Use the foam fitting pads inside to customize the fit.
2. It should be level and low on the forehead - two finger widths above the eyebrows.
3. The front and back straps on each side should form a "V" just below the ear.
4. The chinstraps should be adjusted snugly (but not tightly); one should be able to slide two fingers between the strap and the chin or jaw.

Visit the Links page for additional bicycle & pedestrian safety resources.

Getting to School Safely

There are many hazards for children going to school, whether they walk, bicycle or take the bus. The brochures below offer tips for avoiding these hazards, and can be downloaded on the Archives page.

Getting To School Safely (2000, 2001, 2002)
School Bus Safety (1999)

Visit the Links page to find additional bicycle & pedestrian safety resources.

Walk to School Day

Walk to School Day is held the first Wednesday of October to promote walking and bicycling to school. The MPO helps coordinate this event with the local schools and communities. Communities nationwide use the event as a first step towards changing community culture to create environments that are more inviting for people of all ages. Some important reasons to support walking and biking to school are:

To enhance health and well-being: Increased physical activity can combat a host of health problems experienced today by children of all ages.

To improve the environment: A reduction in car trips can help to decrease the amount of pollutants in the environment.

To create safer routes: Increased use of bicycle and pedetrian facilities creates Increased awareness of hazards and promotes education and engineering solutions.

For more information contact the Brevard MPO, visit the National Walk to School website at http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/index.cfm, or visit the Links page for additional bicycle & pedestrian safety resources.

All content on this site is provided for public information and is subject to change at any time.
For additional information, please contact MPO Staff.

To report errors on this site, please contact the

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©2006 Brevard Metropolitan Planning Organization