“I am excited about this initiative for our University community, as it will add another dimension to our New Landscape for Learning as it relates to safety, health and wellness.” Victor Pinheiro
The Department of Sport Science and Wellness Education in the College of Education, in partnership with the city of Akron, has received a $154,647 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to educate and promote safe bicycling behavior. The Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study is providing a portion of the two-year grant.
“How We Roll” originated at The Ohio State University. Based on its success, ODOT is adapting and implementing the campaign at UA to promote bicycling as a fun activity, with an emphasis on safety. The grant will help to teach UA students to ride bicycles confidently in traffic, foster a positive bike culture on campus and reduce the incidence of bike/car crashes in the University area. 
Victor Pinheiro (pictured right), chair of the Department of Sport Science and Wellness Education and primary investigator on the grant, says Akron's Department of Public Service has been an integral part of the grant and is donating the project management portion of it. Andy Davis, a traffic engineer with the city, has served as co-primary investigator on the grant.
“It is very exciting to be a part of this initiative. We are anticipating bike tours in the fall of 2013,” says Davis.
During the two-year grant, Shivakumar Sastry, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering, will assist in the research component of the grant.
“I am excited about this initiative for our University community, as it will add another dimension to our New Landscape for Learning as it relates to safety, health and wellness,” says Pinheiro.