Howard kids can practice bike skills at new traffic garden in Columbia

Hunter Fortin, 7, and Xander Fortin, 5, of West Friendship, left, practice riding their bicycles on the Huntington Park Bicycle Traffic Garden in Columbia. The garden is designed for young and inexperienced riders to learn to follow directional signs, learn safe street skills and encourage proper etiquette when riding. Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff photos

Finn Thompson, 4, of Catonsville, left, stops at a crosswalk to allow Conley Reich, 4, of Columbia, to cross the street on the Huntington Park Bicycle Traffic Garden in Columbia.

On a late summer afternoon, children rode their bicycles, scooters and tricycles around the new traffic garden at Huntington Park in Columbia.

Rounding the traffic circle, stopping for pedestrians at the crosswalk and yielding at the stop lines, they practiced their riding skills while learning real-world traffic conditions.

The traffic garden is one of the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks’ latest additions to the park.

Opening Aug. 29, the traffic garden was created on the basketball court to teach inexperienced and young riders to follow directional signs, learn safe street skills and encourage proper etiquette when riding, according to a county government news release. A first-of-its-kind in county parks, the Department of Recreation and Parks hopes to find additional locations in the future for similar bike-riding experiences.

“When we talk about Columbia, a planned community, some of the things that come to people’s minds are path interconnectivity and a place to live that does not require a car to get everywhere — but rather, can be navigated by walking or biking,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in the release. “Biking offers numerous benefits that positively impact our health, the environment, and our wallets. In a world where time and resources are precious, biking stands out as a simple, efficient and sustainable mode of transportation.”

The traffic garden was created through a collaboration between the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Howard County Bike and Pedestrian Coordinator with the design assistance of Discover Traffic Gardens, according to SealMaster, a leader in innovative pavement products and sport color coatings.

Situated on a previously vacant basketball court adjacent to the walking trail and next to the playground, the revitalized space is now a colorful, engaging play and skills area.

“Transforming an old basketball court that was no longer in use into Howard County’s first Bicycle Traffic Garden not only promotes sustainability, but also creates a dynamic and inclusive space for everyone,” Department of Recreation and Parks Director Nick Mooneyhan said in the release. “It’s a testament to the positive impact that can be achieved when we reimagine existing resources through collaborations.”

The traffic garden provides a safe and welcoming environment where families can bring children to learn cycling and enjoy scooters and other wheeled toys, according to SealMaster.

“We are so excited about this opportunity to refine the methods used to install traffic gardens,” Fionnuala Quinn, director of Discover Traffic Gardens said in a release by SealMaster. “It represents a major advancement in our national approach to installing these beneficial projects. This work will provide a blueprint that other communities can adapt so they too can create great places for active family fun.”

Melissa Fortin, of West Friendship, brought her two sons, Hunter, 7 and Xander, 5, to the park to ride their bikes on the traffic garden.

Learning about the traffic garden through a community group on social media, she said she brought her sons to the park to reward them for successfully completing their first day of homeschooling.

Fortin said she is grateful that the county provides educational recreation like the traffic garden for children.

“I’m very avid about getting kids outside and using their bodies to move as many ways as possible and Howard County has so many different options for that,” she said. “All their playgrounds have something unique that we go to, and this one is super unique. There’s nothing like this anywhere else.”