Staff photos / Chris McBride Niles eighth grader Ryan Bixler navigates his way through the maneuverability course Tuesday guided by Kris Kriebel, health educator for the Trumbull County Combined Health District, as part of a bike rodeo aimed at teaching street safety.

NILES — Students at Niles Middle School took part in a bike rodeo Tuesday, the second day of a two-day event aimed at teaching street safety.

The event, planned by Brian McConnell, the school’s dean of students, and Bianca Rozenblad, the city’s planner and grant coordinator, took place on streets around the school.

The streets were closed during the events.

McConnell and Rozenblad worked with the Trumbull County Combined Health District, Youngstown State University and Creating Healthy Communities to teach bike and street safety. It also helped the city seek state grants for better safety projects.

A bike from the North and Main Beautification Committee was given away.

The city used student ideas from a March workshop to plan the bicycle rodeo and an urban planning firm from Columbus helped.

Students from Gaye Breegle’s advanced science class took part in the event. They learned how to wear helmets correctly and cross streets safely.

Breegle said her students, now in eighth grade, had worked on city plans before. Last year, they met with planners from Columbus. The students drew ideas to make downtown Niles better for bikes and walks. They added bike lanes and greenery.

“This is what these kids do,” Breegle said. “They ride their bikes to get to each other’s homes. So this is extremely important.”

She added that many students live on the south side of Niles. Some ride bikes to school because buses do not go there.

Rozenblad said the rodeo taught helmet fitting, bike checks and hand signals. Students rode through an obstacle course to practice real road skills.

Next, the city plans to apply for a Safe Routes to School grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation. Rozenblad said it would pay for lasting changes, like better crosswalks and intersections on Main Street.

The city got a similar grant for $250,000 two years ago for John Street. She said the new one could be about the same or up to 25% more.

The safe street area will stay open for walkers and bikers until Friday. Drivers should be careful in the area until then.

On Monday, students painted crosswalks on Second, Third and Brown streets. They used the school’s red and blue colors and drew the dragon mascot. These painted spots made a short-term safe street area.

The city has an active transportation plan from 2023. It lists ways to make Niles easier to walk and bike. They have added bike lanes on Hartzell Street and extended the Niles Greenway this summer.

Rozenblad said they work with partners and grants to make these changes step by step.