MONTCLAIR, NJ. On a sunny fall morning, kids in helmets and backpacks gathered with their parents in Montclair, New Jersey, for a group bike ride to two local elementary schools. Volunteers wearing orange safety vests made sure everyone gathered in the nearby shopping area was ready before the riders set out on their 5-mile “bike bus” route.
Every few blocks more adults and children on bicycles joined them. The group eventually grew to more than 350 people. The older students chatted with friends while the younger students focused on pedaling. Along the way, cars stopped to let the line of cyclists pass. Students and parents made their way to the first school before the others reached the group's final stop.
It's a familiar Friday scene in Montclair. Over the past three years, what started as a handful of parents hoping to encourage their children bike to school has become a weekly ritual and a regular commute option for many families.
“It was so much fun,” student Gigi Drucker said upon arriving at Nishuane Elementary School. “The best way to get to school is by bike because it gives you more exercise. It's better for the health of the earth,” she added.
But according to organizer Jessica Tiller, riding to school on two wheels is more than just fun. She finds that cycling together every week helps promote healthy habits for children and strengthens the sense of community among parents.
“It really started with a small group of us, about five parents, wanting to ride to school with our kids and just feeling like it wasn't safe. And for me, I felt lonely riding to school alone. So the bike bus just came out as a little effort. And now we can have up to 400 people riding to school together,” Tillier said.
The bike bus movement is not new. Hundreds of them exist throughout the United States. and Europeand in Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia and Israel, according to Bike Bus World, a non-profit organization that promotes and provides information about bicycle buses.
Co-founder Sam Balto, who installed the bike bus in Portland, Oregon, more than three years ago, said: interest has grown so much so that he offers free coaching calls to help others launch their own. He estimates there are more than 400 routes around the world, and the number continues to grow.
“Kids and families crave connection, physical activity and being outdoors. And when you compare that to a line of school cars, people naturally gravitate toward something that's very joyful and community-oriented,” Balto said.
Organizers hope the bike bus movement will not only get more kids on bikes, but also encourage elected officials in the United States and abroad to invest in safer safety systems. cycling infrastructure.
While running a bike bus may not be difficult, keeping it running year-round through different seasons requires more effort. Organizers of successful attractions have shared tips for parents who dream of creating their own.
Andrew Hawkins, co-director of the Montclair Bike Bus, said once enough families express interest, the first step is to carefully plan the route. This means identifying low-traffic streets while taking into account how many students can join at the starting point and along the way.
“It took us a while to come up with a route that we were happy with, but we remain willing to make changes if necessary,” Hawkins said. “Things can change. New groups of students may move into a certain block or traffic patterns will change and you will have to adapt.”
The Montclair group began through word of mouth and social media posts. As the number of participants grew, organizers created a chat group to coordinate and share weekly updates. They also reached out to other families through parent associations, school forums and other parent communication channels.
One unexpected benefit, several parents say, is that the bike bus motivates kids to get up and out the door faster on Friday morning.
“He's more excited to get out of bed and get on the bike bus than he is on the regular bus. So it's actually easier for me to get him ready for school,” said Gene Gaykoff, who rode with his son on a recent morning.
To keep the momentum going throughout the year, the Montclair Bike Bus team organizes themed rides on weekends and holidays. These events also allow families who are unable to join on weekday mornings to learn what the bike bus is like before moving on to the regular schedule.
The Montclair Bike Bus consists of several adult-led groups and routes that cover all of the town's elementary schools and two high schools. Organizers believe that it is in the primary grades that children benefit most from cycling with a group. Students in their first few years of school can learn how to ride safely and apply these skills when they ride bicycles on their own or in small groups as they get older.
Montclair parents have found that most elementary school students can cover distances of 3 to 5 miles, and the group moves at about 6 mph so younger children can keep up.
“Slow speeds can be tough for some of our older kids who want to go a little faster. We tell them there's no racing on the bike bus – everyone gets to school at the same time. But there have been times where we've had to split the ride into two groups so some of the older kids can go a little faster than the younger ones,” Hawkins said.
Keeping the bike bus running year-round requires consistency, Balto and Hawkins said, and that means being willing to pedal when it's raining or cold outside. Leaders are monitoring weather forecasts and deciding whether to cancel Friday's trip due to unsafe conditions or proceed as planned, while reminding families to dress appropriately.
“As it gets colder, we encourage everyone to make sure they have the right gear — gloves, neck warmers, warm jackets,” Hawkins said. “The idea is that kids should feel comfortable riding all year round.”
The Montclair Bike Bus received reflective vests and bike lights from sponsors to improve visibility on dark winter mornings. Leaders also carry basic maintenance tools such as tire pumps.
The weather is often more of a concern for adults than for children, Balto noted. “Kids want to be outside with their friends,” he said. “If you're going to do it in any weather, just do it all the time. People will get used to it and start joining you.”
Despite all the planning and coordination required to run a regular bike bus, seasoned organizers say the key is to just get started. It can be as informal as two families driving to school together and sharing flyers to spread the word, Balto said.
“If you are consistent — once a week, once a month, once a season — it will grow,” he said.
Tillier said she gives the same advice to anyone who asks where to start: Just go for it.
“Don't ask permission. Don't worry about what it takes,” she said. “Find a small group of people, get on their bikes and go to school. Once people experience it and enjoy it, more people will want to join them.”
