BONUS: Coach Balto's Bike Bus Lessons
Added 2023-09-12 10:00:04 +0000 UTCHello all! I'm super excited to share this bonus episode with you all. While working on Episode 110, Back to School with the Bike Bus, I spoke with Sam Balto, a phys ed teacher in Portland, Oregon, who goes by @CoachBalto and who's become one of the most visible advocates in the global movement for active transportation for kids.
Sam Balto and some kids having a whole lot of fun on bikes.
We used some of his comments in that episode, but our conversation was so juicy I knew I wanted to share it in full.
Sam does a great job of explaining why bike buses are so much fun and so good for kids, and why you might find yourself tearing up when you watch his videos: "We want our children to thrive. And the bike bus movement is sort of the first story of children thriving since the pandemic."
Maybe you'll be inspired to start a bike bus or walking school bus where you live!
—Sarah
Comments
Bike buses in general sound great! But honestly I found it pretty chilling that police are involved and that this was presented as a good thing. Police are dangerous. Cops don't belong in schools and normalizing cops around schools puts so many marginalized children in danger. :\
Elizabeth Patitsas
2023-09-15 17:34:02 +0000 UTCIn Montclair they told me there is no after-school bike bus because the kids all have different after-school activities in various directions and it isn't as simple as just riding the route in reverse. Some parents/caregivers come get their kids and ride home together and others organize smaller independent group rides to get people home. It definitely speaks to the need for people to advocate for more safe streets for kids! - Doug
The War on Cars
2023-09-14 18:18:13 +0000 UTCHow do they get home? Is there an after-school bike bus, too?
Kirsten Tucker
2023-09-14 17:57:47 +0000 UTC
