Streetfilms: Cycling to school, at home and abroad
Happy Bike Month! Although New York City continues to become a better place to bike, there are still numerous hurdles to safe riding here with chaotic streets and a battle for dedicated mobility lanes. New Yorkers need more safe and protected ways to bike with their families and kids. There certainly is not a lack of enthusiasm and advocacy for this. A recent survey of New Yorkers showed that a clear majority of New Yorkers would gladly trade parking spaces for safer streets to bike and walk for children.
So of course that brings us to ample Streetfilms that can show what safe biking might look like — something we have worked on for the last 18 years. Our latest is this magical video from Portland, OR where physical education teacher Sam Balto organized the Alameda Bike Bus last year on Earth Day. It was so popular that it has continued every Wednesday for a year. It started with 75 riders but has now grown some days to nearly 200(!), which is one-third of all the kids in the school.
As he mentioned, Sam’s inspiration is the Bici Bus which has happening for the last few years in Barcelona. Last year we got to do a nice short on when we learned Rosa Suri, one of the main organizers, was riding right next to us on a United Nations bike tour!
Of course in the best bicycling country in the world, The Netherlands, it’s automatic. Kids and families safely go to school everyday. I got to hang out with Katelijne Boerma (then Amsterdam’s Bike Mayor) and interview and talk with parents about the joy of arriving to school. And this school featured here is considered to be in need of improvements for access!
Safe arrival to school by bike and walking is something that should be forefront of all City agencies. Last year, we put together this Streetfilm exploring the dangers children face getting to school, but also the ways New York City has started to prioritize Open Streets in locations near schools. We show how it is helping change the public space around schools by at least making drop-offs more calm with less chaos. Some schools are surrounded by cars, noise and danger before, during and after dismissal, which is exactly the opposite of what they need to be.
Streetfilms has been covering parent-led bike rides to school for a long time. Currently one of the best ones is Brooklyn’s Bergen Bike Bus which we haven’t gotten to document yet, but we’ve done plenty of others like this nice group ride on Brooklyn’s 4th Avenue right after the then-new protected bike lanes opened.
As you can see - yes, much safer and fun - but without parental accompaniment this is not a viable option for younger children to cycle solo. We will continue to push (Open Plans is helping more schools to apply to the Open Streets program using a new toolkit) and hope our city’s momentum continues in the right direction toward hardening and expand bicycling infrastructure so more kids can ride safely and joyfully.
