Barcelonian Parents Start Massive Movement, Bike Pool to School with Kids
It started with a few kids and now it's a whole movement.
People say that it takes a village to raise a child. And if this past year and a half have taught us anything, it’s that relying on others can make a massive difference when it comes to parenting. This is why we love what parents and kids in Barcelona have done to support each other by biking, yes, biking, to school.
Zach Klein, the co-founder of Vimeo, took to Twitter to share “something special” that’s “happening in Barcelona.” Giving more context to the video he shared along with his tweet, Zach writes, “It started last month when some parents organized a bike ride to school for just five kids. Now entire neighborhoods are joining. They call it Bicibús – or Bike Bus.”
In the 13-second video, a group of kids can be seen riding their bikes, scooters, or rollerblades to school. And Zach explains that the kids – and their parents – take the “Bike Bus” to school each day. The “Bike Bus” started with only a few kids. But, in a relatively short amount of time, it’s sparked interest in other families who decided to join in.
Per Cycling Magazine, the organizers of the bike bus route publish a new route every week so parents can bring their kids along for the ride — and it’s grown to include several schools along the route, rather than just one neighborhood school.
Zach has connected this trend in Barcelona as a potential solution locally where cities are experiencing school bus shortages, suggesting that it might be a solution in Seattle, which is currently undergoing a school bus shortage.
Of course, Seattle is not alone — the whole country is experiencing a shortage of school bus drivers. And while the cool idea wouldn’t work for cities everywhere — American cities are often dominated by sprawl, and cars, and have roads that are simply not friendly to bikers — it’s a good idea all the same.
In Barcelona, the bike route was done with the eventual support of local police, which provides an escort throughout the route. “And after a two week trial, the police wanted the movement to end,” Zach explains. “But the Bicibús parents persisted. For now, the police will provide escort until December. After that, who knows.”
The idea behind the “Bike Bus” is pretty genius. Not only does it help solve the problem of transportation to school, but it also encourages kids and their parents to be active and provides a real vision of cities across the world becoming a little more car-free.
