The City of Arlington is providing free bike safety classes for its residents this fall. Traffic Skills 101, is for cyclists 16 and up. Teens between 13-15 are allowed, if a parent is present. Participants are required to bring their bike, a helmet, water bottle and a patch kit. They should also bring money for lunch. Those who take the class must be comfortable operating a bicycle for 30 minutes at a time and be willing to ride on a city street, with guidance from the instructor.

Residents may choose from one of the following adult classes, to be conducted at City Hall, 101 W. Abram St:

• Saturday, Sept. 8: 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Registration deadline: Sept. 1)
• Saturday, Nov. 3: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (Registration deadline: Oct. 20)
• Saturday, Nov. 17: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (Registration deadline: Nov. 10)

Participants must complete an online registration form and an online training course prior to each adult class.

Kids can take Bicycle Skills 123 at EcoFest between 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22. The class will be conducted as part of the event's Bike Safety Town, located at Founders Plaza/Levitt Pavilion on Abram St. The kid's course will be come and go - no registration or online class is required. All ages are welcome.

The classes will be taught by Torrance Strong, a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor. Participants will learn bike skills and practice riding in traffic. They will also get to visit with Arlington bike patrol officers of the Entertainment District Tourism Unit. These Arlington officers cover a lot of territory on their bicycles, patrolling downtown streets and areas around Cowboys Stadium and The Ballpark during special events.

Sgt. Michael Moses said when riding on the road, the bike is a vehicle.

"It is important for every bicyclist to obey traffic laws in order to stay safe and enjoy the ride," he said.

The online registration form is located at http://bit.ly/ArlingtonBikeClass. Participants can access the online training course at www.bikeed.org.

For more information on the Bike Safety Classes, contact Christina Sebastian at 817-459-6678 or [email protected].

The classes are made possible through a grant from the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation.

More information on the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation can be found at www.arlingtonfoundation.org