Children at Alameda Elementary School in Portland, Ore., ride their bikes to school together every week.
This bicycle parade follows a fixed route, with children and parents joining the growing convoy along the way.
Physical education teacher Sam Barto organized the bike bus a few years ago.
Balto: “It was a huge success. We had 75 kids and we continued to do it every Wednesday for the rest of the school year.
By encouraging cycling instead of driving, bike buses can limit the carbon pollution that contributes to planet warming.
Barto also said bicycling has become safer as more people ride together. Cars slow down to give space to large groups of people. The children benefited greatly throughout the day.
Balto: “It's well-researched that children do better academically when they do physical training before school. They have better social connections and get into less trouble, which helps their confidence and focus during school. .
Balto has now started a nonprofit that advocates for safer bike infrastructure and provides advice to people who want to start their own bike buses.
All you need, he says, is a few kids riding to school with their parents.
Balto: “If you are consistent and inclusive, it will grow.”
Report source: Ethan Freedman/ChavoBart Digital Media
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