Williams Lake hosted their first-ever Bike Bus on Oct. 7 as a pilot project for some Cataline Elementary Students during Go By Bike Weeks.
Members of the Active Transportation Williams Lake group offered a number of students the opportunity to experience riding their bikes to school for one day each week during the Go By Bike Weeks Oct. 3-16.
An international phenomenon, so-called “bike buses” are a way to help make cycling to school safe again for young students.
While historically, children riding bikes to school was a common occurrence, as more and more vehicles are on the roads and vehicles have gotten larger and larger, cycling is often no longer considered a safe option for students.
A “bike bus” is an escorted group ride, which supports rider safety with the participation of adults and the higher visibility of a large group, students are picked up along a pre-arranged route and the students are escorted to their school under their own power.
One adult leads and one adult follows.
The ride was popular enough to fill up the pilot project immediately, and student participants had sunshine and clear skies for their first ride.
While the route for students coming from the Glendale side were challenged with a lack of sidewalks and crosswalks in places they had to walk up hills, they managed to navigate the route and persevere and appeared to arrive in great spirits. Another group of students rode along 11th Avenue down to Cataline Elementary. Numbers for the second week are even higher as more students have asked to join the pilot project.
Cycling is the second lowest in emissions for modes of transportation, after walking, and provides numerous health benefits.
Read more: From “feral” to Forbes, Williams Lake’s bike recycling champion
Read more: Go By Bike Williams Lake
ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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