Because the Bexley City School District area is compact, most students often walk or ride a bicycle to their school. Knowing this, we ask all residents and drivers to use extreme caution when driving before and after school hours.

• Bexley’s three elementary schools – Cassingham, Maryland, and Montrose – begin the school day at 8:10 a.m. and end the school day at 3:00 p.m.

• Bexley Middle School and Bexley High School begin at 8:35 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.

Please be vigilant in watching for school children on sidewalks, streets, intersections, and in parking lots for up to an hour before and after school hours. In general, that includes as early as 7:30 a.m. and as late as 4:30 p.m. each school day.

School district administrators and Bexley Police officers will monitor the Broad Street/Cassingham Road and the Main Street/Cassingham Road intersections in person from 7:30–8:30 a.m. and 3:30–4:30 p.m. each school day through August 26. During that time, we will help reinforce safety tips with students. 

Additionally, all 6th-grade students will receive bicycle and pedestrian safety instruction during their orientation. Students in grades 7-12 will be provided similar information in regular communication as well.

If your child plans to walk to school or ride their bicycle to school, please review the following safety tips with them ahead of the first day of school. Conducting a “test run” of walking and/or bike-riding with your student(s) before school starts is a great way to further educate students about safely going to and from school.

BICYCLE SAFETY

• Have your child wear a helmet while riding a bike.

• Ensure your child’s feet reach the ground when he or she is seated.

• Keep the bicycle in good repair and inspect it often.

  • Things to check include the brakes, tire pressure, and tightness of the chain.

•  Dress your child in bright-colored or reflective clothing.

•   Don’t allow your child to ride when it’s dark. If your child must ride at dawn or dusk, make sure he or she uses reflectors and lights.

•  Encourage your child to keep both hands on the bike’s handlebars.

  • Books and other items should be carried in a backpack or a basket attached to the bike.

• Make sure your child never wears headphones or texts/interacts with their phone while riding; your child needs to be able to hear oncoming traffic and be distraction-free. Note: Bexley’s distracted-driving law also applies to cyclists.

• Loose-fitting clothing should be avoided as it can get caught in tire spokes.

Bicycle Rules of the Road

Before your child starts riding, teach him or her the rules of riding, including:

• Bike riders should know how to use hand signals to let car drivers know what a bicyclist plans to do.

• Hand signals include:

o   Left turn: Left arm extended straight out

o   Right turn: Left arm bent up at the elbow, or right arm extended straight out

o   Stopping: Left arm bent down at the elbow

Children under 13 years old should ride on the sidewalk, not on the road. Use your best judgment as to whether your child is ready to ride on the road. 

Best Practices for Bike Riders

Before pulling into a street or intersection, a bike rider should always:

• Stop, look left, look right, and look left again.

• Look back and yield to any traffic coming from behind.

• Bike riders should always watch for cars pulling out of driveways, parking spaces, or parking lots.

• Bikes should always be ridden in the direction of traffic, never against it. They also should be ridden on the right side of the road.

• Bike riders should understand and obey all street signs, traffic lights, and crossing signals.

• It is important that students who ride on the sidewalks always walk their bikes through crosswalks, especially at busy intersections. 

• A bike rider should always assume that drivers can’t see him or her unless the drivers make eye contact.

WALKING TO AND FROM SCHOOL

We value our walking community and students, parents/guardians, teachers, and citizens share responsibility for the protection of our school children. Basic safety suggestions include:

• Parents/guardians should work with children to map the safest walking route to and from school.

• All pedestrians should obey the safety patrol and cross only at intersections.

•  Drivers must take extreme care when picking up or discharging children from cars at school by pulling to the sidewalk nearest the school.

• Children should go directly to the school and proceed directly home after school, unless previous plans were made. School staff members are not responsible for the supervision of students after dismissal.

Crossing Intersections

• When crossing Broad or Main Streets, only cross at intersections with a traffic light. Most traffic lights in Bexley have Pedestrian Buttons. Push the Pedestrian Button when you want to cross an intersection. The east Cassingham crosswalk at Main and the Cassingham crosswalks at Broad were designed with additional signage to remind drivers of pedestrians and to remind cyclists using the sidewalk to walk their bikes through the intersection.

• Watch the pedestrian signals, not the traffic signals, when possible. When it’s safe to walk, do so as quickly as possible so you are on the road for the least amount of time. When the pedestrian signal is activated, it provides enough time for you to cross a street safely, so pay attention when it begins.

• Cross in the crosswalk when you have a "Walk" sign or see an image of a person walking. Always cross at a corner. If the "Don’t Walk" or similar “Red Hand” signal sign is flashing, finish crossing if you are in the intersection. If you are on the sidewalk when the “Don’t Walk” or “Red Hand” begins to flash, then do not begin to cross. Wait for the next time the "Walk" sign appears.

• Don’t jaywalk. Not only is crossing in the middle of the street illegal, but it’s also dangerous and drivers won’t expect to see anyone in places outside of crosswalks.

• Look left, right, and left again before crossing. Make sure all drivers stop before crossing and look for vehicles turning right. Some drivers don’t yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, so pay close attention before stepping into the roadway. Continue watching as you cross the street.

• Don’t be distracted by your cell phone while crossing the street. Stop texting, talking on the phone, or listening to music. Use all of your senses to stay safe.

NEW OR YOUNG DRIVERS

We know that our youngest drivers are at greater risk for car accidents, due simply to inexperience. Please encourage your young drivers to always follow safe-driving habits, including wearing seat belts and eliminating distractions when driving – specifically avoid texting, using cell phones or other electronic devices, eating, changing the radio, or interacting with Apple CarPlay. 

Please also remind them to expect to see younger students walking or bicycling on school days, always defer to pedestrians in crosswalks, and, in general, slow down, especially near all school buildings.

We are linking to two documents that may be helpful when discussing driving privileges for school days. The documents are provided by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics and include a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that you may find useful.

We welcome your support in sharing student responsibilities and expectations to help ensure their safety when bicycling or walking to school, as well as encouraging your young or new drivers to be extra cautious when driving, especially during the times when younger school children may be walking or bicycling to school.