P4P event

Submitted by Kathryn Latour

Thursday, October 18th we had a great P4P event and a solid biking turnout among our Gunn students
with a total of 624 bikes counted in all the bike racks. We say this is a great biking count since it is well
over 1/3 of the student body, and it exceeds the number of bikers to Paly both by absolute number
and per capita. However, normally these numbers are even higher when there are no special events
like Homecoming that made it more difficult for some students to bike. Congratulations, Titans! Special
thanks also goes to volunteers Lawrence Baker (who flew in just for this event), Steve Hubbell (illustrious
past P4P co-chair), Penny Ellson (PTA Traffic Safety Rep), and Iris Latour (former-Gunn-student-now-
college-graduate) for greeting each biker and thanking them with a Rice Krispy Treat.

On a more sober note, we have two areas of concern. Principal Villalobos related that there are still a
great many bikes left unlocked in the morning as proven by those who discovered their bikes gone at
the end of the day and reclaimed them in the office. If students forget to bring their bike lock to school,
there are extras in the office; securing a bike is the surest way to avoid bike theft. The second concern is
that there seems to be many more students biking without their helmets. The law states that all bikers
under the age of 18 must wear a helmet. This law was enacted for your protection since head injuries
from biking accidents can be severe, even fatal.

For November, look for announcements about the Palo Alto-sponsored bike survey and the November
1st Walk About where students can give input about biking concerns. Thanks, Gunn students, for doing
your part to help the environment, congestion, and traffic safety!

Kathryn Latour
P4P Chair