New Bike Bus Program Launches at Six B.C. Elementary Schools this Spring
HUB Cycling is excited to announce the launch of a new Bike Bus program, starting in six elementary schools in Metro Vancouver and Victoria this spring.
The schools receiving the Bike Bus program include:
- Lord Tennyson Elementary in Vancouver
- Emily Carr Elementary in Vancouver
- Florence Nightingale Elementary in Vancouver
- Ocean Cliff Elementary in Surrey
- Lord Kelvin Community School in New Westminster
- Campus View Elementary in Saanich
A ‘Bike Bus’ is an organized group of children riding bikes to school together along a set route under the supervision of adult leaders. This movement is gaining momentum worldwide, and has many benefits, including improving students' physical and mental health, building community connections and increasing road safety and visibility.
Starting tomorrow, April 9th, HUB Cycling’s Bike Bus Program is set to get children biking safely to and from school with organized Bike Buses led by a trained bike instructor. The program is funded by the Province of BC as a component of the Walking School Bus Initiative delivered by the Society for Children and Youth, additionally supported by TransLink. Capital Bike is assisting with the program in the Victoria area.
Maya Goldstein, HUB Cycling's Bike Bus Manager, started a Bike Bus in her children’s school, Gordon Elementary in Vancouver, two years ago.
“I noticed there were very few children biking to school regularly. I heard about a Bike Bus in Portland Oregon led by the school’s physical education teacher Sam Balto. I started following that Bike Bus on social media and even took a trip down to Portland to participate in this legendary Bike Bus,” says Maya.
On a rainy morning in April 2023 the Gordon Elementary Bike Bus started rolling. Maya recounts that, “Although participation was a bit low to begin with, this bike bus quickly gained momentum and became an inspiration to others. With many inquiries from other parents from different schools on starting a bike bus, it became apparent that there was a real desire from more schools to start a bike bus.”
HUB Cycling’s Bike Bus program is unique by offering support to schools with starting and running bike buses. The charity received over 40 requests from schools to participate in the program. Over 700 parents and caregivers also responded to the survey expressing interest in the program. It was clear that there's a strong interest in getting more kids cycling to school safely.
Parents from the Gordon Elementary Bike Bus already see the benefits of having their children participate in the Bike Bus. Leah, a mother of two students in grade one and grade five, expresses: “My favorite part about the Bike Bus is that it’s a safer way to teach newer bikers how to cycle on the road. Being part of a big group makes us more visible, and it certainly gave me the confidence to allow my son to practice his road skills. He’s now a seasoned veteran!”
David, father of a grade three student at Gordon Elementary, echoes Leah’s enthusiasm: “We are so lucky our school has a bike bus. Not only does it get our daughter excited about biking, but she is building confidence riding on the road. It really is the best way to expose children to commuting."
Five more schools will be eligible to participate in the HUB Cycling Bike Bus program during the 2025-26 school year. Parents and school staff are also encouraged to start their own volunteer-based Bike Buses using HUB Cycling’s bike bus resource page.