WHAT has wheels, and takes kids to school, BUT is not a car? WHAT bus can your kids ride to school, BUT is not a city bus? Give up? Well one has been going strong in Portland since September 2008. The answer is a "bike bus". A bike bus is a group of people who bike to a location, picking up new "passengers" along the way. And just like a city bus, a bike bus has set stops and a schedule.
It started in May of 2008. Angela, a parent at my family's school,
Metropolitan Learning Center, sent out an email asking if there were families interested in biking their children to school. What serendipity, my family had planned to do just that.
Angela has biked to school with her daughter from their North Portland home for several years so she is a wealth of experience.
Angela moved to Portland in 1992, before the proliferation of bike lanes, and biked to work at PSU, dropping her eldest daughter off at daycare along the way, perhaps creating a glimpse of what would later become the bike bus. Angela’s second daughter, Brie, is in 7th grade and this will be her 5th year riding to and from school.
Angela lists 4 reasons to consider a bike bus:
1. Relieves some parents of transportation time and cost
2. It's fun
3. It's safer when there are more people on bikes
4. It's built-in exercise. Your kids arrive at school ready to learn!
And I would add in a 5th one--it is soooo totally Portland-cool.
The idea of biking to school is not new. However, the idea of biking to school with a group of people is gaining momentum in several cities, Portland being one.
One parent on the bike bus stated that this is quality interaction time, not just between them and their kids, but with other kids. I would have to agree. This is a great time for my boys and me. Plus they are stuck in a box on a bike so where can the go? Ha! They have to interact with me.
The MLC Bike Bus is established and doing well considering its humble beginnings, but that is often the case with great ideas. The MLC Bike Bus has gained a sponsor, REI, who has provided bike maintenance workshops.
How can you start? With the weather becoming more pleasant (a tad less rain) this is a good time to make it happen. Start by planning a route using a handy neighborhood bike map. Next, I recommend riding the route on a weekend to verify timing, and maybe modify the route. Finally, for your first several rides, you can bike home from school, as you will not feel rushed to “get somewhere.”
If families at MLC --a public school that does not pull attendance from the neighborhood-- can make it happen, then a bike bus is possible at every school (Safe Routes to School). Some of the families travel just under 5 miles one way.
As with anything, what it takes is commitment. And Portland is on your side. Portland has a wealth of free resources to help you along your travels. Angela would love to see other schools set up a bike bus, perhaps collaborating. Do you have a bike bus at your school or know of one? Let us know.
The MLC Bike Bus travels part of the trip along Vancouver Street, heading south in the morning, and then Williams Avenue, heading north in the afternoon, so when you see a group of kids in bright vests, give a wave.
You can check out the MLC Bike Bus Blog for more details. Or watch our totally cool bike commute on Vimeo or You Tube.
Next time you head off to school, hook up with a bike bus have a wheely good time.