Bike bus
Abike bus,also known as abike train[1]or acycle train,[2]or cycle bus is a group of people whocycletogether on a set route following a settimetableother than for sporting purposes. Cyclists may join or leave the bike bus at various points along the route. Most bike buses are a form of collectivebicycle commuting(usually parents cycling their children together).
A bike bus is often seen as a cyclist's version of awalking bus,although walking buses tend to be seen as exclusively for children travelling to school.
Bike buses may have social, environmental, or political aims. One of the founders of the Aire Valley Bike Bus said "The Aire Valley Bike Bus was set up... to encourage people to take up cycling and make the journey to work a more interesting and sociable experience.".[3]The stated aim of the Central Florida Bike Bus is "bringing together cyclists who want to commute by bike using the same roads as every other vehicle".[4]The aim of the D12BikeBus in Dublin 12, Ireland is to make cycling to school safer and easier while lobbying for safe cycling infrastructure.
Examples of bike buses
[edit]
Aire Valley Bike Bus
[edit]The Aire Valley Bike Bus first started in August 2008.[5] It runs once a week, on a Wednesday, betweenKeighleyandBradfordinWest Yorkshire,UK. In November 2009 it was featured asCycling England's Scheme of the Month.[6]
Bike Bus (AU)
[edit]Bike Bus is run by members of Bicycle New South Wales,Australiaon a voluntary basis[7] and has received funding from The Department of Environment and Water Resources, through the Low Emissions Technology andAbatement– Strategic Abatement program.[7]It is a "community-led service to introduce groups of people to ride a set route together, to introduce beginners to a route, or enjoy each others company".[8]
Bike Bus (FR)
[edit]Bike Bus is a French company based in theDordognedelivering rental bikes to visitors all overFrance.Bike Bus (FR) began in 2002 and is currently the oldest bike rental company in the Dordogne.[9]
Biketrain PDX
[edit]Biketrain PDX was started by Kiel Johnson in 2010. It co-ordinatesbike trains,a form of bike bus, for school children inPortland, Oregon,with the aim of having a bike train running at every single school.[10]
Bus Cyclistes
[edit]Perhaps the first bike bus initiative, based inToulouse, Franceit now shows bike buses acrossFrance.
Central Florida Bike Bus
[edit]First run on 23 August 2010[11]this bike bus runs to and from theUniversity of Central Florida.This bike bus has a real time Bike Bus Tracker, so that riders, with appropriate technology, can see where the bike bus is at any time.
CicloExpresso (PT)
[edit]CicloExpresso is a bike to school project that started in 2015 in Lisbon and has since spread to Aveiro.[12]
Kingston upon Thames
[edit]This bike bus ran every Monday in March 2011 from Sutton toKingston upon Thames,UK, a total distance of roughly 7.5 miles. They claimed they would "complete the journey in about an hour – that's less time than the 213 bus takes during peak times!"[13]
The service was led bycycle instructorsand was provided by Sutton Council and Kingston Council.
Massa Marmocchi Milano (IT)
[edit]Massa Marmocchi Milano is an Italian bike bus company.[14]
Nether Edge, Sheffield
[edit]Started in June 2013, following the Bus Cyclistes Model, to provide a regular Saturday "bus service" that introduces local residents to safe routes in the corridor between Nether Edge and Sheffield City Centre.
D12BikeBus, Ireland
[edit]Arguably one of the longest continually running Bike Buses (2019 – ), with greatest distance travelled of over 5 kilometres, the D12BikeBus is parents and children banding together to cycle safely to school while lobbying councils to make their way safer and easier. It runs from Crumlin to Greenhils, Dublin 12.
Bicibús (Europe)
[edit]Bicibús.eu is a European initiative to create bike bus projects in collaboration with municipalities and educational communities. It also provides resources such as the 'Bicibús KIT' or a mobile application to set up a bicycle bus in a school. "[15]
Student transport
[edit]As walking buses tend to focus on student transport to and from school, bike buses can also operate to and from schools escorted and supervised by adults including for otherhuman-powered transportsuch as scooters.
Ariding school busis a group of schoolchildren supervised by one or more adults, riding bicycles along a set route,picking children up at their homes along the way until they all arrive at school.Riding school buses are similar towalking busor bike bus programs. Like a traditional bus, riding school buses (also known as RSBs) have a fixed route with designated "bus stops" and "pick up times" in which they pick up children. Ideally the riding school bus will include at least 1 adult 'driver', who leads the group, and an adult 'conductor' who supervises from the end of the group.
Riding school bus programs have been developed in a number of local councils in Victoria, Australia, includingCity of Merri-bek[16]andShire of East Gippsland.[17]
Riding school bus programs deliver a number of benefits:[18]
- Improvement in child fitness and health
- Environmental benefits – reduction in car trips and associated air pollution
- Development of traffic skills and confidence in children
- Socialization and increased community engagement for children
- Reduction of traffic congestion around schools
Riding school buses are also known aspedal pods[19]orCycling School Buses.
See also
[edit]- Bike bus (disambiguation)
- Autobus (cycling)
- Critical Mass (cycling)
- Cycle touring
- Peloton
- Safety in numbers
- Tweed run
References
[edit]- ^SRTS Guide: Walking School Buses and Bicycle TrainsArchived4 January 2011 at theWayback Machine– National Center for Safe Routes to School
- ^Developing school based cycle trains in New Zealand– Pinnacle Research and Policy Ltd, 2007
- ^Bike Bus idea gives safety in numbers,"Bradford Telegraph and Argus", 25 September 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2011
- ^"Central Florida Bike Bus website".Archived fromthe originalon 31 January 2011.Retrieved26 April2011.
- ^Aire Valley Bike Bus – AboutArchived22 March 2012 at theWayback Machine
- ^Scheme of the Month – Aire Valley Bike BusArchived28 July 2012 atarchive.todayon Cycling England website. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^abbikebus.org.au
- ^Cycling in Sydney – Maps and routesin Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^"Bike Bus - Bike Rental".Bike Bus(in French).Retrieved5 April2024.
- ^"Biketrain PDX – About".Archived fromthe originalon 1 April 2011.Retrieved26 April2011.
- ^"UCF Bike Bus Report".Archived fromthe originalon 24 January 2011.Retrieved26 April2011.
- ^"Comboio de Bicicletas para a Escola".CicloExpresso(in European Portuguese).Retrieved5 April2024.
- ^"Cycle Bus – Book your free place on our Bike Bus this March".Archived fromthe originalon 18 March 2012.Retrieved26 April2011.
- ^"Massa Marmocchi Milano".Massa Marmocchi Milano(in Italian). 15 November 2023.Retrieved5 April2024.
- ^"Start".bicibus.4 April 2024.Retrieved5 April2024.
- ^TravelSmart – Riding School Bus program in Merri-bek
- ^East Gippsland Shire Council – RIDING SCHOOL BUSES BEGIN SERVICE
- ^Avoid the schoolyard traffic jam – use the Riding School Bus instead!: Media Release 31 July 2006 – Moreland City Council
- ^Holy Rosary's new Pedal Pod – Bicycle Victoria