Published September 23, 2024 by WMTW.
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SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine —
Inspired by Coach Balto on social media, Rose Devlin and Stefan Apse started a bike bus in their neighborhood to bring kids to the Dora Small Elementary School every Friday.
"Instead of jumping on a school bus you jump on a bike, and you have a route, and we pick up kids and parents on the way to school," Apse said.
Their first bike bus ride was on the last day of school back in June. They started it back up on Fridays for the 2024-2025 school year.
"We were like, let's just do it," Devlin said. "We did make a route so we had specific places that we would be at specific times, and we sent it to as many people as we knew."
In addition to avoiding the frustration that can come with getting kids in the car for school, they feel there are several benefits associated with the bike bus.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School reports that active trips to school help kids contribute to a cleaner environment. They also learn about safety and healthy habits.
"I think there are many benefits to it; certainly, to the kids, energy-wise and physical and social bonding," Apse said. "But it also makes you think about bike and pedestrian traffic and crossways and how we can improve the safety of biking to schools or just around town."