A global overview of Bike Bus: A journey toward a child-friendly city

Abstract

Cities are still far from being child-friendly for cycling. Cycling with children in low-cycling cities poses specific challenges, requiring high confidence and skills. Active travel-to-school programs aim to promote cycling among children, and one of these programs, Bike Bus, has recently captured considerable attention. Bike Bus is an initiative where families cycle together to school following a fixed route and schedule. This study aims to trace the origins of this initiative worldwide, explain the current momentum behind the movement, identify their diversity, and reflect on their long-term sustainability. We reached 431 Bike Buses through a mixed-methods design, including archival analysis, an online survey, and 22 interviews. Bike Bus had a plural origin in Europe in the late twentieth century. Moving more than 35,000 children in a week, its expansion has been driven by the joy it brings to participants, the growing interest in climate action, and social media. This is the first study that examines the characteristics of different Bike Buses and analyzes the particularities of this initiative. On average, the rides have 29 participants and travel 2.8 km. We compare route characteristics, participants, goals, and relationships with their respective city councils. Finally, while not all initiatives aim to last, access to long-term funding and committed organizers are the best enablers for sustainability over time. Bike Bus’ powerful nature lies in its simultaneous purposes: active mobility to school, activism, and joy. To ensure longevity, organizers could collaborate with local administrations to secure resources while maintaining advocacy for child-friendly cities.