Compare two schools: one where are kids are driven, versus one where they ride

It’s almost back to school time, which means the summer is almost over, and kids will be hitting the books. Of course, for many parents, it means ferrying their precious cargo to their respective institutes of learning every day, often by car. Or if the kids are old enough, they can drive themselves, take a school bus or public transportation. Orrrr, they can ride their bikes to school.

The bike bus movement is spreading

In some parts of North America, however, due to lack of infrastructure, distances or simply unsafe roads, it’s not possible for kids to ride to school. However in many parts of Europe, especially places like The Netherlands, there are more than adequate cycle tracks that kids can take to safely ride to school. The advantages are pretty obvious, but the clip below really highlights them. You can see the big traffic jam created by all the cars, first and foremost. Plus, of course the bikes are a far greener option than all those cars. Then there’s the fact that kids are getting a bit of exercise before and after school. You could also argue that it creates a feeling of independence for the students being able to get themselves there, and the fact that parents don’t need to have to drive them there, wait in traffic, park, before they themselves have to hustle home or to their own workplaces.

Back to School…
Two ways to do the school run.
An elementary school in North Carolina vs. one in #Holland. pic.twitter.com/muyDW33Sw1

— Taras Grescoe 🚇 (@grescoe) August 29, 2022