June 30th, 2024

I Started a Bike Bus, and You Can Too (2023)

A bike bus, led by adults guiding children to school on bikes, promotes safety, fun, and physical activity. This initiative fosters community connections, addresses transportation issues, and supports a sustainable society.

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I Started a Bike Bus, and You Can Too (2023)

The article discusses the concept of a bike bus, where a group of children is guided to school by adults on bikes, promoting fun, convenience, and safety. The idea has gained popularity as cities adapt to be more welcoming to cyclists. Initiatives like bike buses not only promote physical activity but also address transportation inequalities and reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. By encouraging active transportation, communities can create healthier and more equitable neighborhoods. Starting a bike bus involves finding a purpose, recruiting a team, planning routes, and ensuring safety measures for children. The initiative not only benefits children but also fosters community connections and engagement. While promoting biking and walking requires broader infrastructure changes, grassroots efforts like bike buses are a step towards creating a more sustainable and connected society. The movement emphasizes the importance of physical engagement with the environment and each other, especially in the face of climate change challenges.

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Link Icon 8 comments
By @martiancookbook - 4 months
I grew up in Texas, only 1 mile away from my elementary school. I was dropped off every single day by car, and only ever used my bike to kill time within my "superblock" (not sure what to call it, but the streets which are blocked in by the 40mph arterial stroads.) I would have loved this!

Even when I went on to middle school (0.5 mile away), I was still dropped off by car. Thinking back, I'm not sure there were even bike racks, though there was of course a massive parking lot. Yikes, in retrospect.

By @ThomasBb - 4 months
I can barely describe how foreign all of this is to a Dutch person. Pre-school and school drop-off is with a bike by default - Parents today use every type of cargo bike, but traditionally you’d see just a parent with two bike seats (on front, one rear) until the kids are 4 and able to bike themselves.

This youtube channel does a great job exploring what infrastructure exists to enable this lifestyle: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikes

By @schmichael - 4 months
I did a bike bus with my kids school elsewhere in Portland this year! Great way to get kids riding. We’d have 2-3 parents on cargo bikes block busy intersections for the kiddos to ride across at their own pace. Probably annoyed some drivers, but they never showed it. Once a car even pulled alongside, slowly and safely, to block traffic even more completely for us.
By @riffraff - 4 months
My home town has a pedibus, which is the same concept but you walk the kids to school, picking them up at various "stops". It's pretty neat, IMHO.
By @pryelluw - 4 months
I remember biking to elementary school in 1989/90. I was in fifth grade and loved the freedom. After school, I’d go back home to say hi to mom and then off I was to the mall in my bike. Those were the days …
By @impure - 4 months
I went on a group bike ride earlier this year. It was fun, group bike rides should be more common.
By @tuggi - 4 months