The ‘Bike Bus’ Comes to the UWS
What this parent-led effort can teach us about childhood independence, transportation equity, and building community by taking action.
Manhattan’s first ever bike bus! It travels from Harlem to the Upper West Side. (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
One of the more inspiring movements to emerge in cities over the past several years is the “bike bus.” From Barcelona, to Portland (Oregon), to New York City, the bike bus concept—riding bicycles as a group along a set route—allows children to do something that was once commonplace, but has now become a form of activism: ride their bikes to school.
The bike bus effort highlights many of the inequities of today’s city streets—the result of decades of urban planning that has prioritized the movement and storage of motor vehicles over the wellbeing of people living, working, playing, and learning there. By physically reclaiming space in the street, parents, students, and teachers are correcting for a transportation system that is often too hostile and unsafe for children to navigate on their own.
We spoke with Carole Maisonneuve, a parent leader of the bike bus at Manhattan Country School (MCS) on the Upper West Side, about some of the challenges of running a bike bus, what this movement means for kids, and how it can make New York City a more equitable, and more joyful, place for everyone.
(This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.)
To start off, what exactly is a “bike bus?”
A bike bus basically works like a school bus. Children go to school together on a set route with stops along the way (where others can join). Except, instead of riding a real bus, the kids ride their bicycles together to school.
Thus far, the bike bus has received participation mostly from Lower School students, which means that children are generally with their grownup, who join the bus, too. So the bike bus ends up being a community celebration. The kids love it. They get a chance to socialize with their classmates and have fun before the school day gets started, and they are fully energized by the time they make it to school.
What made you decide to start a bike bus at MCS?
My family rides to school—and actually, everywhere—all the time, rain or shine. So, we thought we might be able to get some friends to join us and, along the way, inspire community members to see that other transportation modes are possible and desirable, especially in the midst of the climate crisis that humanity is going through.
The idea originally took root after seeing some amazing video footage of the Barcelona bike bus in Spain in the early days of the pandemic. It was so inspiring! The kids’ joy was so evident. You could also tell they took so much pride in riding independently to school; in being in control.
I shared the video with everyone I could and talked about bike buses in all possible forums at school. I was already involved in the Sustainability Committee in my kids’ school, and plenty of parents and staff members started showing interest, but it remained an unthinkable idea until the school management gave us its full support, which enabled us to have more straightforward communication channels with parents and clearer plans about logistics.
The MCS bike bus makes its way down Fifth Avenue from Marcus Garvey Park. (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
How many kids and families have participated so far?
We had two editions of the bike bus last school year, one in May, on Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day, and one in June. There were about 35 to 40 people, including both kids and parents, participating in each edition. This year, we have put together a full calendar, and the bike bus will run on a monthly basis, from September through June, weather permitting, with a winter break. We are hoping our community of bike bus participants will continue to grow!
What is your goal with the bike bus?
Well, our goals are multifaceted. There’s safety in numbers, so we want to offer a fun and safe way for kids to get to school, using their bicycles, which, out of safety concerns, they would not necessarily do if they were to go to school by themselves, or even with their grownups. So, providing safe access to school is a very important goal for us.
We also want to demonstrate how practical bikes are and show kids and grownups that they can be a legitimate transportation mode to get to school—or to work, for that matter. There is no better way to do that than to ride a bike!
Last, but not least, we want to reclaim public space for our kids. We live in a society where children have very little space to be themselves, to exercise independence, to do things on their own and their own way. Riding a bike provides children with an immense sense of ownership, of pride and joy.
Kids that are ridden to school by car are made invisible. Bike buses put kids at the center and remind everyone that children deserve a fair share of public space.
“Bike buses put kids at the center and remind everyone that children deserve a fair share of public space.”
What kind of reactions have you gotten from people in the neighborhoods you pass through and the wider community in general?
Cycling brings joy. To the riders, but also to passers-by. So many people have noticed our bike bus on our way to school, cheering us on, clapping, putting a large smile on their face. We’ve even observed tweets about our very own bike bus which were posted by passers-by! This is so positive, as it shows that bike buses are not just realistic commuting options in other cities, but can also be implemented here, in our very own New York City.
For passers-by it also means that if our school could do it, there is no reason, no excuse, for not doing it at other schools too. We’d love it if our bike bus could inspire others to join the movement. We would draw a huge sense of achievement if that was the case.
The MCS bike bus rolls through Central Park. (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
What are some of the challenges you’ve had to deal with so far?
Selecting the best route from Harlem to the Upper West Side was a challenge in the beginning. I mean theoretically there are some bike lanes, but they’re not available because they’re blocked by parked cars. I can’t use them with kids, it’s just too dangerous. And there are gaps in the bike lane network where the (protected) lane just disappears.
So, we had to find a way to get to school that is as safe as possible, which also means that we have to ride on the sidewalk for a very short period of the route. There's just no other way. This is an ongoing challenge as we consider expanding the MCS bike bus to serve additional routes to the school.
Another significant challenge is bike parking at school. Space is always an issue in New York City. Last spring, we benefited from our school’s gym renovation to temporarily store children’s bikes indoors, but the renovations have completed, so we now rely on street parking, which is insufficient to cover the needs of the bike bus and lacks security.
“I mean, theoretically there are bike lanes, but they’re not available because they’re blocked by parked cars. I can’t use them with kids, it’s just too dangerous.”
Has anything surprised you?
What surprised me the most was the turnout, especially for a school which has fewer than 200 students. And also the level of excitement coming both from students and parents. People we would not have expected to join—who didn't necessarily express interest in biking—all of a sudden, they just showed up at the bike bus, and I was like, OK, that's great! We are expanding the pool. It's not just the usual suspects participating.
What do you think explains the appeal to those people who don’t normally ride a bicycle for transportation?
One of the main things, and something we've put forward in all our communications, is that there is safety in numbers. It feels much safer to ride as a group together with more experienced cyclists. Some parents have not ridden a bike in a long while, so it's interesting to see that they're willing to participate just because it's a group. We are numerous, we are visible, so we are not as exposed as we would be if we were riding independently.
But also, kids want to join their friends. My kids were rallying their classmates. They took the floor in several assembly meetings to let their friends know about this. And so it's also kids who kind of encourage their parents to participate in this. So I think it comes both ways. Parents were encouraged by the fact it's safe and kids were just pushing their parents, like, Let's do it!
The MCS bike bus existing Central Park at 85th Street. (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
Do you have plans for the bike bus beyond its current form?
We are at a kind of turning point where we have to decide whether we would like to expand and include other schools in our effort, or if we want to be pragmatic and remain a small initiative.
It's interesting to see that other schools in the neighborhood are looking at us. Lots of people are asking questions, and it’s inspiring! That's also why we do it. We want this to spread. We don't want to be the only school on the Upper West Side with a bike bus, we would like this to be commonplace. Actually, we would like this to be mainstream; to be a legitimate way of getting to school.
My older kids go to MCS, and now I have a child in pre-K at P.S. 84, so I have a foot in both the private and public system, and I see that there's a lot of interest. So there might be a window of opportunity to actually expand this initiative. We'll see.
“We would like this to be mainstream; to be a legitimate way of getting to school.”
What would expanding look like?
One of the challenges we've had, and I'm sure this challenge has also been faced by other bike buses, is the volunteer ratio. You want to have a good enough volunteer ratio to serve as safety marshals. That's one of the reasons why we are kind of hesitant to expand at this point, because we want to have a solid base. We want to have enough volunteers to make sure that the (current) bike bus can run regardless of things coming up, like important meetings in the office, or the weather, or people being out sick.
And look at the important initiatives being done by Sam Balto (in Portland). He managed to get legislation introduced, through these kinds of grassroots efforts that would allow schools (in Oregon) to have the choice to either fund typical transportation, like school buses, or pay to support bike buses.
It feels like this should be a publicly supported effort, and not be left to the initiative of a few good-willed parents. This is serving not just the interested families; this is really serving everyone in the community because it means fewer cars on the block and calmer streets to get to school, even if you actually get there by car or in other ways. So it feels like this is a public service. And that really fits with MCS, which is a private school with a public mission.
The MCS bike bus at the end of its Central Park segment. (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
I was actually going to ask how the bike bus fits into the context of MCS’s social justice history and its activist mission.
Transportation is not at the core of the MCS vision. It's really social justice and racial justice and activism. Transportation is not necessarily something that is well-known or an issue that is understood by everyone. So, we try to highlight how interrelated this is as a social justice issue, how underprivileged certain neighborhoods are in terms of bike infrastructure. And when you look at those neighborhoods very carefully, you see that they are socially underprivileged, economically underprivileged as well. So we bring this to the forefront.
We remind people that it's not fair in a city where not even half of the households have access to a private vehicle that 85% of public space is dedicated to motor vehicles. That's something that is intriguing because not many people were aware of this. But now they see the connection. They're like, Okay, all right, that's actually close to our mission; that's close to our hearts. That's something that we can easily relate to.
And I think it's also very important to debunk this idea that bike lanes are white lanes (i.e. that they are designed to serve primarily whiter and more affluent neighborhoods). They are “white lanes” because there is still no safe connection between Harlem and the Upper West Side. There's still no safe connection between the Bronx and Harlem. Why is that so? Why is that so in a city like New York that is so multicultural and spatially diverse?
So, yeah, this is also the reason why we have this bike bus. We want to bring attention to this topic and we want to be able to get safely to school. We want to make it practical, but we also want to raise attention to these issues.
“There is still no safe connection between Harlem and the Upper West Side. There's still no safe connection between the Bronx and Harlem. Why is that so?”
The MCS bike bus “taking the street” on 85th Street, waiting to cross Columbus Avenue. (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
On that note, sort of through the equity lens, I wonder if having access to a bicycle or a bike helmet might be a barrier to participation for some kids.
So that leads me to another challenge that we're having now, not so much about having access to a bike, but having access to a bike lock. You have bikes at every price point. Basically you can easily find a secondhand bike for a kid. Or you can get them through your Buy Nothing group. We have a Buy Nothing group in our school that we created recently. So networks of solidarity, I think, would enable everyone to get a bike for a kid.
But bike locks are a different topic, and we fear that having to park our bikes on the street might have a discouraging effect on some families. A New York City standard bike lock can be as expensive, or more expensive, than the bike itself. That's something I'm really concerned about, that some people might think, Maybe my lock is not good enough or, I don't have a lock, so my kid will just, you know, take the bus or be driven, or what have you.
How can organizations like ours—and, just, anybody who supports this kind of thing—how can we support you?
Just spreading the word and talking about this initiative is helpful. Talking about MCS’s openness to possibly expanding the bike bus movement. I mean, MCS is a small school, we have limited resources. But our imagination is endless, and our goodwill is endless, so we are always happy to inspire others to do good things.
I think there's often a psychological obstacle because people think, Oh my God, this is New York City!This is a densely inhabited urban area, and the drivers are crazy! But these psychological barriers are easily overcome once you get started, and you're like, So this is not that difficult. And it feels safe, actually. And we are having fun, and we are inspiring others. We’re staying in good shape. The kids are energized. They get to school ready to learn.
“We are having fun, and we are inspiring others. We’re staying in good shape. The kids are energized. They get to school ready to learn.”
“Students making their way independently to school.” (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
You were mentioning how the kids show up to school ready to learn. My son is riding his own bike this year to school, after several years being on the back of a cargo bike, and the confidence and the pride that he shows, I mean, I'm about to cry just talking about it. It's so beautiful, and I wonder if you could speak a little bit to that sense of independence and confidence that getting yourself to school, even if you're riding alongside a parent, but still propelling yourself to school, does for kids.
This is the most amazing thing actually, because kids are treated like objects nowadays. They have no control over what happens in their life. We take them from A to B, either by riding the subway, riding the bus, or driving them in the car. They have no autonomy, no agency at all; they just follow the schedule that has been imposed upon them.
Riding their bike is just priceless for them. They really feel they are in control, they are independent, they are actually their own engine in life. And I think that's one of the most powerful statements. That they feel they can go right; they can go left; they can go fast; they can slow down; they can change routes. It's something that is so beautiful to watch, to see that independence and joy.
And you know, feeling the breeze on their skin and not being afraid of the elements—we were riding to school just this morning in the rain. Once you get the gear, there's no bad weather, only bad clothes, as we say. They don't fear the elements, and they're like, We can do it, we are going to school; we got this, whatever happens. It really brings tears to our eyes when we see those kids being so determined, and it's a good metaphor, but it's also true, that they are steering their own ship, not just figuratively, but literally.
“Riding their bike is just priceless for them. They really feel they are in control, they are independent, they are actually their own engine in life. And I think that's one of the most powerful statements.”
Is there anything we haven't talked about that you'd like to add?
My suggestion is, Just go for it! That's my message to whoever will read this. It's tough just to get started, so get started small. That's okay. And then your reputation will do its work for you, and people will want to participate; they won't want to miss it, and then it will become more mainstream. It will become more legitimate.
Something I like about the (MCS) bike bus is that we work with the school, so on the day of the bike bus they clear the curb for us. They put cones to prevent cars from parking there. So we have the entire length of the school building (at the curb) just for kids to get to school on bikes. And I think that's very symbolic. It's a very practical thing because we want to be able to access the curb easily when we have 40 people on bikes getting to school. But it's also very symbolic that we are reclaiming this space. And imagine, you can fit 40 bikes in the space of two or three cars! So yeah, go for it. Reclaim your space. You own it. That's what I want to say.
Arriving at school! (photo courtesy Carole Maisonneuve/MCS)
