Challenge
The City of Boca Raton has a large youth population and wanted to create a community Bike Rodeo event that would help young people build confidence while riding a bike, learn about bike safety, and build awareness about real-world situations they might encounter on streets.
Solution
Kittelson worked with the City of Boca Raton to develop the Bike Rodeo and design the event layout for the designated parking lot. The team planned each station, including where children would ride and where educational materials, signs, and signals would be placed to create an engaging learning experience.
Children progressed through a series of stations that introduced different riding scenarios and safety concepts. The event also included bike helmet fittings, with new helmets provided for participating children. The program also encouraged riders who were ready to remove their training wheels.
Throughout the process, Kittelson coordinated closely with the City of Boca Raton, whose staff remained actively involved from planning through the event itself. The team also worked with the Boca Raton Bicycle Club and League Cycling Instructor Eugene Rider to support event setup and coordination.
The Outcome
Building Bike Skills for Boca Raton's Young Riders
The Bike Rodeo was well received by children, parents, and community partners. Its success led the city to continue the event and work toward making it an annual Bike Month tradition.
The event also created opportunities to expand bicycle safety education. For example, after identifying a need to raise awareness around nearby Brightline railroad crossings, the team incorporated railroad gate and grate crossing education into the rodeo to help children recognize and safely navigate those situations.
Police and fire personnel participated alongside volunteers who helped guide children through each station. Parents shared positive feedback about the event, and many children returned after participating the previous year.
