NOPA Bike Hero: Pacific Primary School

The little orange and yellow and green school that could. We all know it's hard to bike in the city if there's nowhere to park. And who likes settling for trees, parking meters, and street poles for cabling or U-locking? NOPA has a few standard inverted-U bike racks, but none close enough to Pacific Primary at Baker and Grove Streets to benefit teachers, parents, and students who bike. Until now.

Any biker, ped, or motorist who travels Baker or Grove Streets, knows the bright splashes of color on the westside corners of the intersection. Not exactly Victorian and Edwardian hues to match the neighborhood's painted ladies, but that's the fun of having the orange, green, and yellow exteriors of Pac Primary in the center of NOPA. Now a parents group has accessorized the school exterior with bright new bike racks.

According to school administrator, Elizabeth Cacal, parents designated the funds from a school auction for purchase of the bike racks. Sarah June Barr Crocket, one of the parents, helped select the manufacturer, Dero Bike Racks, and complete the purchase (about $2,000 for three racks). Dero allows customers to customize their purchase, and Pac Primary added its goofy grin logo. (You have to love a school with a a graphic like that!)

In an earlier post, I spied Sarah's son's bike forlornly slung around a street pole, no rack anywhere to be seen. Today his little red ride proudly stood along the cool orange rack at the front door.

Another parent, Norman Rutherford, volunteered to install the racks. I caught up with him and his son, Rye Tewksbury, this afternoon before they headed home to the Mission. They do just fine on their 2 1/2 mile ride and especially appreciate the Wiggle for getting across town. Rye started out in a bike trailer pod at six months and now has a scoot bike. Next up is a Burly trailer cycle.

Norman's got the bike rack installation down, and he's willing to help other non-profits, schools, arts organizations install theirs as well. (Contact him at northerly@sbcglobal.net). He also said he thought parents and teachers at the school would be enthusiastic about an occasional designated bike or play block near the school. Several parents have told him they'd like to learn more about bike trailers as well as giving their kids practice time on a city street.

Pacific Primary is a pretty cool school all around. With its brand new building on the southwest corner, the 35 year old school now accomodates 154 students who range from 2 1/2 years to pre-K. The full-day program "celebrates diversity -- ethnic, racial, economic -- and all types of families including adoptive, gay and lesbian, and one or more parent families."