Children’s “bike bus” is a success, cheered on by residents
It’s not really a bus, more like a caravan, but children in Portland are parading their way to school on bicycles thanks to a PE teacher’s program.
The Washington Post has the full story here.
The bike bus has become the students’ favorite way to get to school. The community likes it because it reduces congestion and pollution caused by buses and cars — while also promoting physical activity and fostering community.
“When we do bike bus, people come out of their homes and watch us. It’s kind of like a parade,” Downard said. “It’s palpable, the excitement in the neighborhood and community, and how much joy everyone gets just by seeing kids going to school and being happy and exercising.”
The idea began as a “walking bus” (walking to school, what an idea!) before it morphed into its current bicycle form. But in both versions, its success was partially due to how much the local community supported it.
It’s hard to not feel hopeful when seeing this happen. We definitely need more heartwarming success stories like it.