At least once a week in at least 470 communities around the world, caravans of schoolchildren and their parents board two-wheelers to beat the first bell. The caravans are known as a “bike bus.” And they are growing more popular, organizers say. “It (is) so fun,” Gigi Drucker of Montclair, New Jersey, told The Associated Press (AP). Gigi is 7. “The best way to get to school is by bike because it gives you more exercise. It’s healthier for the Earth,” she said. Gigi is one of 400 Montclair children and their parents who bike to school every Friday morning. They got the idea three years ago from organizers of a bike bus in Portland, Oregon. And the group in Portland was inspired by biking schoolchildren in Barcelona. The idea has been spinning around the world since 1998. The first known bike bus started in Brecht, Belgium. Sam Balto views it as a relief for much of what ails modern kids. It can help address loneliness, stress, and too much time on gadgets and the internet. Balto is Portland's bike bus organizer. He is also the founder of the nonprofit Bike Bus World. “They do better academically when they're physically active,” Balto told Cycling Weekly. “They get in trouble less, they have better social relationships, it’s a great way of helping kids build their independence skills, and it's great for their mental health.” Some parents say their kids are much happier jumping on bikes than riding packed buses. Montclair organizer Jessica Tillyer says others should give it a try. “Don’t ask for permission. Don’t worry about what it’s going to take,” she told the AP. “Find a small group of people, get on your bikes and ride to school. Once people experience it and enjoy it, more will want to join.” Thought Question: If you could change one routine at school to make it more fun and healthy, what would you change and why? Photo of kids biking to school from Wikimedia Commons.
