Inaugural Pedal With Police event planned at Quaker Valley School District

Quaker Valley School District police and local law enforcement are partnering to promote bicycle safety.

The inaugural Pedal With Police is planned for Saturday, May 17.

It’s designed to educate youths about the rules of the road while riding bicycles. Participation is not limited to just Quaker Valley students.

The event will start at 9 a.m. at Osborne Elementary School, 1414 Beaver St.

Riders will pedal along Beaver Street to Edgeworth Elementary escorted by officers from Sewickley, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, the school district and other agencies.

There will be a bike safety rodeo at Edgeworth from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Those activities include free helmet distribution from the Allegheny County Police, safety lessons and an obstacle course.

Participants who complete the lessons and the course will be eligible to win bicycles bought through support from the Home and School Associations of both elementaries.

The Rev. Ryan Kobert of St. Paul Lutheran Church is expected to perform a blessing of the bikes.

The event is spearheaded by district police Officer Thomas Liberty and Sewickley police Sgt. Dave Yurkovac.

“We’re just excited to get something for the kids,” Liberty said. “We have a chance to get everybody together for a safety lesson and learn the rules of the road. The community’s going to be involved.”

More than 100 riders have registered as of April 30.

Liberty said the idea for Pedal With Police was a combination of an event he was at years ago as a New Sewickley Township police officer in Beaver County, and discussions a few months ago with the Sewickley area nonprofit collective Youth Connect.

The township would host a bike rodeo for children of the Freedom Area School District and beyond, complete with an obstacle course and safety lessons.

Officers at a Youth Connect meeting talked about how to address youths riding bikes throughout downtown Sewickley.

Yurkovac said Sewickley police, shortly after that meeting,g sent the school district a bulletin with information about PennDOT regulations as well as other ordinances and regulations for riding in the borough.

State Vehicle Code considers bicycles as vehicles, meaning riders must abide all traffic signals and stop at stop signs.

State law also requires riders 12 years old and younger to wear a helmet.

Yurkovac also shared with Liberty his experience being involved with a Pedal With Police event years ago in Pittsburgh through the Allegheny County Community and Police Together group.

Momentum kept building and they eventually connected with Allegheny County Police crime prevention/community relations officer Bobbie Bertalan to help coordinate the upcoming one in Sewickley.

“I’m just excited to be able to provide an opportunity to the kids in this town,” Yurkovac said. “To give them a chance to have a fun event where they not only learn about their equipment and learn about the rules of the road and riding, but also have some fun with it, too.”

Liberty said they had hoped to sign up about 50 riders, but instead got double that registration with about three weeks to go.

“I think what is making it so popular is it’s the first event (of its kind) that’s happened here in the QV community,” Liberty said. “It’s that ever-building relationship that we have in Quaker Valley is driving support from the school district, the school community, the HSAs, teachers and staff and, most importantly, the support from the police departments.

“One way to fight crime is having that relationship with the citizens and knowing that we’re there for them. It’s going to be a great day.”

Flyers with a QR code for online registration are available at the schools.

People can also sign up at Osborne Elementary the morning of the event.

More information is available by calling 412-749-3027.