As a project for her Girl Scout gold badge, New Hyde Park high school student Jasmine Kamdar is organizing a Bike-to-School Parade for Saturday, May 13. The parade will start at 10:30 at the Herricks Community Center in New Hyde Park, 999 Herricks Rd, New Hyde Park, in the parking lot off of Shelter Rock Road. Participants will ride a 4-mile loop through the hamlet. The NCPD will escort the participants to ensure their safety.
Kamdar says that the parade is targeted at the youth of the community, but is open for all ages. She explained that the goal is to promote bike safety and to change the culture of the Herricks community so that biking to get around is a more comfortable idea.
“I hope that in the future there will be bike lanes on all major roads and more people riding bikes in my community,” she said. “New Hyde Park has little to no bike lanes and this is a major problem. Most drivers don’t understand that they have to share the road with bikers, making biking dangerous in the community.”
Jasmine has been working under the advisement of Dr. Sylvia Silberger of Car-less Long Island, a project of the Ethical Humanist Society of LI that advocates for alternative transportation and runs an annual Bike-to-Work parade. She has also benefited from the guidance and support of Girl Scout leader Kristin Pepper and Herricks High School principal Dr. James Ruck.
“This was, however, very much Jasmine’s project,” according to Silberger. “Jasmine took responsibility for everything from planning the route and date, to contacting the NCPD and securing their approval, to designing the registration webpage and flyer.”
Those who are interested in attending can find more information and register at sites.google.com/view/herricksbikeparade. Please contact Kamdar at jasminekamdar2@gmail.com or 917-703-9623 for more information.
