“Bike with a Cop” signals importance of safety for Ocean City students

It’s not every day that you get a police escort to school. 

Ocean City police officers rode alongside Ocean City Intermediate School (OCIS) students Thursday morning, dispensing bike safety reminders along the route.

Students and officers started their journeys from two meeting points in town – the Transportation Center on 9th Street and the Wawa on 34th Street. 

“Bike with a Cop” is the first of many ways that OCIS plans to reinforce bicycle safety awareness among students and families this year. Bicycle safety is an important concern in the Ocean City community, where the sidewalks and the boardwalk create a cycling-friendly environment.

“The students really enjoyed the ‘Bike with a Cop’ event, and it was wonderful to see our community come together to raise awareness of bicycle safety,” OCIS Principal Matthew Engle said in a news release. “We are working to incorporate this message into a yearlong discussion with our students and families – especially since our community relies heavily on walking and biking throughout the seasons in Ocean City.”

Engle said students will soon hear more about how to stay safe on their way to and from school. 

On Oct. 3, Michele Geiger, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator at Cross County Connection TMA (Transportation Management Association), will hold a presentation for OCIS students on pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Students will get another safety-themed visit from Geiger and the Ocean City Police Department on National Walk to School Day on Oct. 8. Geiger also will return to the school in the spring to reinforce bicycle safety practices.  

Community members are also getting involved in promoting safe rides. Resident George Bauer donated 50 bicycle lights to the school. OCIS students who demonstrate safe cycling practices in the coming weeks will be eligible to win one of the lights.  

For more about Ocean City School District, visit www.ocsdnj.org.