Episode 11: Organizing a bike bus is a win-win-win — with Andy Burkhardt
Description
May 7 is Bike & Roll to School Day, when children all over the country ride to school in a bike bus shepherded by volunteer neighbors and parents. Andy Burkhardt started one at his daughter’s elementary school last year (you can, too), and despite no prior knowledge and minimal expectations, 60 people saddled up.
The benefits are everywhere: The kids love the vibe and the exercise, the parents build community, the dropoff runs more smoothly, less gasoline gets burned, and Justin Timberlake might show up. And whether you’re officially participating or just low-key trying it out, the recipe is pretty simple: approach other parents, pick a date, map your route, get the word out, and make it fun—maybe with a music playlist booming from your speaker system.
Thanks for listening to the Wheelie Good Podcast! Subscribe for free to be notified about new episodes and listen to the many voices of bike advocacy in Washtenaw County.
If you’d like to learn more, Andy has posted his notes on family biking from his Bike Summit presentation on our newly-redesigned website. We also talk about the Great Hinckley Fire (and its museum), librarians in love, and why the best long-term bike trips end in ice cream.
Other links:
* Champlain College in Burlington, VT
* Sylvie Burkhardt, before her new teeth arrived
* Follow Coach Balto’s bike bus on Instagram
* Visit the Lakelands Trail State Park
* IMLS under threat (featuring the husband of Episode 5 guest Dharma Akmon):
* Why we like the idea of Bike Buses with Bubbles:
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bicycleallianceofwashtenaw.substack.com
United States
