The Invisible Epidemic I read a neat visually-interactive piece from the Pudding, called “24 hours in an invisible epidemic.” Alvin Chang parses the American Time Use Survey to study feelings of loneliness and how people spend their time. He follows and visualizes the story of one person, and of many simultaneously throughout an entire day: One of the interesting and sad trends in the data is that the amount of time that Americans spend with other people has been declining for decades – with family and with friends. This is especially true for young people. How Bicycles can help combat loneliness I thought about how a lot of the social ties that I have, friends and acquaintances, have been strengthened through bicycles. Because bicycles are social vehicles. When you’re on a bike, you’re outside and able to easily interact with […]
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A list of all of the Bike Buses to school (that we know about)
We just rode our first Bike Bus of the school year! I wanted to make a list of all of the Bike Buses that I knew about so that interested parents/students can find one to join, and so that riders can work together, learn from each other, and start new ones. You probably already know that I think this is the best way to get to school, even when it rains. Special thanks to the #BikeNite #BikeBus and #BikeTooter people on Mastodon for helping create this list. Bike Buses in the United States California Berkeley, CA Ecole Bilingue Bike Bus Malcolm X Bike Bus Oakland, CA North Oakland Bike Bus – that’s ours! San Francisco, CA San Francisco Bike Bus – A series of 5 bike buses that span different neighborhoods in SF. The biggest one travels through the JFK […]
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Fun Bicycle spoke decorations for your Bike Bus to school
Spoke decorations! To get ready to celebrate our Bike Bus for this upcoming fall, I made some spoke decorations to give to the kids as a celebration of our rides to school and as an incentive to continue doing so. About our Bike Bus We run our Bike Bus to school at least once per month, and more often when other kids decide that they want to join in. We have a rough schedule of “stops” and when we’ll be there. Kids join in along the way, usually with parents, though some of the kids are now old enough to ride with less adult supervision. It’s the most fun and joyful way to get to school. You get to skip the car dropoff line, get healthy physical activity, hang out with friends, and help promote cleaner air, all at the […]
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Biking the kids to school in light rain? Not too bad of a Bike Bus today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nSk8ngGlwI&feature=youtu.be We might have overdressed today but it was not a bad ride to school in the rain. Our fingers got a little cold but the rest worked out fine. Here’s what made the ride more comfortable: Fenders Waterproof pants and jackets A bike safety flag for visibility Bike Bus Friends! A waterproof backpack cover Good headlights Riding through puddles Here are some general tips for riding your bike in the rain. And here are tips specifically for riding bikes with kids in the rain. Or follow along for updates:
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Bike Twitter’s (or soon Bike Tooter?) tips for helping kids bike to school
Why bike to school? There’s something special about biking to school and watching your child wave to friends as they near the front gates. If you’re just starting out, for Bike to School day (in Alameda County, it’s Walk and Roll to School Day), or because you want to take climate action and make sure your kid(s) get exercise, here are some reasons why biking to school is great: Builds community and friendships Lets kids have fun riding with friends – bikes make people smile! Promotes better air quality & a lower carbon footprint Reduces the number of cars on the road Gets Kids and adults healthy physical activity Saves money on fuel Allows kids to be independent “You and your kids will be happier riding and get used to it quickly” – @share_hugh on Twitter As easy as riding […]
Continue readingHow to start a Bike Bus (or Bike Train) to help kids joyfully bike to school
What is a Bike Bus / Bike Train? A bike train (or Bike Bus, as it has recently been named) is a group of students and parents or volunteers who ride to school together, kind of like a carpool, but for people on bikes. Some great things about Bike Buses / Trains include: Parents can share transportation responsibilities Reduce congestion around school by reducing the number of cars on the road Encourage healthy physical habits Build community A regular schedule helps get students to school on time Creates joy and independence We regularly rode to school before starting this activity. With the help of Oakland’s Slow Streets, we’d already been able to realize some of the above benefits. We’d see familiar faces on bike or on foot on the way to school. The ride to school featured a good dose […]
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