HS223 has a brand new biking crew riding through the neighborhood.

Street Smarts, a ninth-period class for freshmen, gives students a mix of outdoor cycling and hands-on community planning. Every Tuesday, students head out on their bikes, and on Mondays and Wednesdays, they work on a street redesign project with the New York City Department of Transportation.

This unique class exists thanks to a partnership formed by Ms. Devore, a 12th grade teacher and work-based learning coordinator. She connected the school with the Department of Transportation to involve students in real neighborhood projects. When the Department of Transportation finally launched a new project in the area, HS223 became the perfect match.

“I am very excited that the NYC DOT is giving students a voice in shaping their neighborhood,” said Ms. Devore.

The program also includes the nonprofit I Challenge Myself, a fitness and personal-development organization that has operated in New York City public schools for the past 20 years. The group specializes in cycling and has served more than 4,000 students across the Bronx, Harlem, and Manhattan. Through this partnership, professional cycling coaches teach HS223 students road safety, teamwork, and biking skills.

One of the riders, Eriangelys Rivera Ruiz (Class of 2029), was looking to get in shape.

“I thought it would be very good exercise because I usually do nothing after school. Overall a really fun experience I chose to do in my free time,” said Eriangelys.

She says the biking crew quickly built a supportive community.

“We all work together as a community, and it’s really cool how we’ve been promoted to go biking. I want to continue to bike because it’s a great form of entertainment and having fun while also exercising,” said Eriangelys.

Ms. Devore also saw immediate benefits for the students.

“Watching students go from not being able to ride a bike to riding confidently on the road is so exciting,” said Ms. Devore.

When students aren’t biking, they are redesigning sections of Courtlandt Avenue and Morris Avenue. Each month, Department of Transportation staff visit the school to guide students through workshops on identifying safety concerns, gathering data, measuring roadways, and creating design proposals. Students spend the semester developing solutions they believe will make the neighborhood safer.

On December 15, students presented their proposals to architects and senior planners from the Department of Transportation, who will turn the ideas into official sketches and engineering plans.

“I think it was good presenting. It just was a bit nerve wracking. You get to understand that they are people too. I think with the presentation they get to see from people who actually go on those streets,” Andre Lyland (Class of 2029).

Students were tasked with presenting real world solutions to making traffic safer in the Bronx.

“A specific idea that I presented was to make the streets of the Bronx better and safer for pedestrians by removing angled parking and adding bike lanes to Courtlandt Avenue,” said Jayleen Clotter (Class of 2029).

The Department of Transportation will present their official designs to students in January and then the Department of Transportation and students will prepare together to present to the Bronx Community Board in February.

“If all goes to plan, the safety initiative will go into place in the summer,” said Ms. Devore.

Ms. Devore hopes students walk away with biking skills, design experience and community organizing skills.

“I hope that students understand that they can have a direct impact on how their community looks and the safety of their community. I also hope they learn how to work with the local government,” said Ms. Devore.

For HS223’s newest biking crew, the road ahead is looking bright!