Rose Park Elementary’s bike bus opens new lanes for student commuting

“Kids who walk/bike to school have better learning outcomes, and there are multiple studies showing that biking and walking to school can increase test scores as well as help kids emotionally and socially.” Photo by Trina Perez.

If you have a school aged child and live a mile or less away from a public school, you have probably walked them to school at some point. If you are like me, you probably also noticed the amount of roads you have to cross during the early part of most people’s morning commute. It is quite astounding how many cars are on the road, not to mention how fast they go. In short, walking to school can be a stressful – or even dangerous – endeavor. Cue Trina Perez and the “bike bus.”

“The bike bus was created in hopes of getting more kids to actively transport to school. Kids who walk/bike to school have better learning outcomes, and there are multiple studies showing that biking and walking to school can increase test scores as well as help kids emotionally and socially,” said Perez, who founded the Rose Park Elementary bike bus. “The school drop-off line is a source of frustration for so many people, and I wanted to show people there are other options.”

The concept of the bike bus is simple enough: an adult rides a bike and leads a group of kids on a predetermined route to school. Along the way, they pick up more kids as they wind their way to their school. The thought process behind the bike bus is equally simple: biking is a way to build community, foster friendships among kids, promote healthy activity, and improve air quality in our neighborhoods by keeping cars off the road.

According to founder Trina Perez, bike buses help foster community by bringing people together. Photo by Trina Perez.

Perez got the idea for the bike bus after watching videos of other bike bus implementations – like the bike bus put on by P.E. teacher Sam Balto of Portland, Oregon. After watching several videos of bike bus rides on social media, Perez says she was inspired.

“I contacted Rose Park Elementary with the idea, and they were into it. I just saw the need and ran with it,” said Perez. “We held our first ‘Raptor Ride’ (aka bike bus) in October and had about 50 people participate, including kids and adults,” said Perez.

While starting the bike bus, one of the first things Perez noticed was the lack of bike ownership among the kids, so she began raising money and reaching out to local bike shops and the Bicycle Collective to donate bikes. She also began working with the family outreach coordinator at Rose Park Elementary to help identify kids who needed bikes, get them the correct sized bike, and distribute the bikes.

So far, Perez has been able to give out 40 bikes to kids who need them. She has also raised additional funds to provide a bike to every kid at the school who would like to participate in the bike bus, but needs a bike. Perez gave the money she raised to the Salt Lake Education Foundation with the understanding that they will use the funds to purchase the remaining bikes for Rose Park Elementary students.

With bike access addressed, Perez faced another hurdle: Once you get to school, what do you do with all those bikes? Most schools don’t have enough bike racks for 50 bikes, and each kid also needs a lock. Trina’s solution is to store the bikes in the school’s gym, but that space is only available once a week, which limits the frequency of the bike bus.

In addition to supplying bikes to students who want to participate, logistical issues like bike storage during the school day and volunteer needs represent hurdles to establishing a bike bus. Photo by Trina Perez.

Recruiting volunteers to help is yet another hurdle Perez faces. “The plan is to get the Rose Park bike bus rolling every Wednesday next school year, but I will need some additional volunteers to make that happen,” she said, noting that she’d like to see similar programs at other schools but lacks the bandwidth to implement them.

“I am volunteering my time, and don't have the capacity to get other bike buses started, but my hope is that I can be a resource for others who'd like to get them started at their neighborhood schools,” said Perez.

Perez’s long-term goal is for the bike bus trend to continue from its humble roots in Rose Park, but she recognizes that it will take more than volunteers and donations. “I believe for the Bike Bus movement to spread and happen in a sustainable way, student transportation funds would have to be diverted away from strictly bussing kids to school. Ideally, school staff who are getting paid could lead and implement bike buses for this to be a truly transformative way of getting kids to school,” she said.

Perez has already hosted two bike rides this year, including one on April 19 to celebrate Earth Day, and she has plans for one more before summer break. “We will be having one final ride for the year on May 31,” said Perez.

Ultimately, the bike bus is a net positive addition to any community. It keeps the kids healthy by getting them outside and getting some exercise, it takes cars off the road and reduces gas emissions, and it also fosters a sense of community and belonging in the neighborhood – you get to meet other people!

“There is also an immense amount of joy that comes from participating in or watching the bike bus roll by,” Perez said. “It is pure joy, and we could all use a little more joy in our lives, right?”

If you would like to know more or get involved OR start your own bike bus, you can contact Trina Perez at roseparkbikebus@gmail.com.