Originally Posted by sbhikes
Got an email from a concerned parent. He makes his kid ride to school on the street. Why? Because he is afraid of robbery or thuggery on the bike path. It's seculded so sombody could steal your bike out from under you with no witnesses. Nobody will steal your bike out on the street. Too many witnesses. Also, if you get in an accident maybe somebody will come to your aid on the street. Who will see you on the bike path?
The boy has two bikes: a costco beater and a fully suspended mountain bike. He only likes riding the mountain bike. But he won't ride it on the bike path for fear of someone robbing him of it. So the only way to keep from driving the kid to school all the time is to let him ride his mountain bike on the street.
Goes to show you that you gotta get more information about all this stuff.
However, I remember being a kid walking to school on these seculded pathways and yeah, I was afraid of being beaten up or getting my lunch money stolen and I can't tell you how many flashers I saw, but I still think that a bike path is a good idea. One going right to the school. Maybe even post some moms or crossing guards along the way or something.
Does the school have an enclosed area that is locked up all day for the bikes. If not then bike being taken on the path is not a valid worry, unless the kid in question already has a bully problem.
Someone else also mentioned that things depend a lot on the area. There is a spur path off the Beach Bile Path in Santa Monica, Ballona Creek. This path goes right behind the projects. Not safe a lot of the time. But the one time it is safe is near school start and end. Well safe as far as mugging type things go. One has to ride a little more carefully in the typical MUP sense. E.g. plenty of kids take that path to and from school.