Brooklyn Elementary gears up for a bike bus
The Comox Valley Cycling Coalition has been providing cycling education to all elementary schools in School District 71 for more than 10 years. Photo: CVCC
“That's the bottom line, is getting kids to be more active,” said Brooklyn Elementary Principal Mireille Appelbe. “And it's always good when they come to school and they've had some exercise too; it's better for their learning.”
Wheels are turning at Brooklyn Elementary, as the school’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC) puts plans in motion for a bike bus this spring. A fun, safe, and active way to commute, bike buses are communal rides to and from school lead by a trained adult, with students joining along the route.
Brooklyn Elementary’s PAC is working with the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition, as well as school administration, to get this project rolling. While bike buses are popular in other cities, including Victoria and Vancouver, it is a new concept for the Comox Valley and one the local Cycling Coalition is excited to get going.
In an emailed statement, the coalition said they have been providing cycling education to all elementary schools in local School District 71 for more than 10 years, and that “helping more kids to ride safely and confidently is one of our most rewarding projects.”
Brooklyn Elementary’s principal Mireille Appelbe said the ultimate goal is to help kids get more active, build healthy habits, gain confidence, and get comfortable riding around their neighbourhoods in a way that is supported and safe.
“So I think the kids can benefit in a lot of ways. And then they get to school, and they've had some exercise and are maybe more able to concentrate or focus on their schoolwork and not feel as wiggly, because they've gotten a bit of that out on the way to school,” the principal said.
Appelbe said the province-wide bike to school week showed promising results last year, and could be an indicator of success for the new bike bus project.
“Last year we had a bike week and it was amazing to see all the bikes on the bike racks,” Appelbe said. “And not only were the children getting more exercise and getting to school by bike, but there was a lot less traffic [too]. We have a very congested parking area [for] pick up and drop off, and it can sometimes be dangerous.”
The PAC member who championed the bike bus program, Megan Cowling, believes the community will be in support of the new initiative.
“I find with our community that there's such goodwill towards anything to do with kids. There's always people that want to help and they always want to come together and make things work, and especially anything that has to do with accessibility and activity and just community spirit,” the parent said.
She said this could also be an opportunity for more connections between families within the community.
“I think especially with Comox,” the parent continued, “there are lots of families post-Covid that haven't necessarily gotten a chance to know each other. And so connecting through riding bikes together is a pretty low pressure way to get to know each other.”
The cycling coalition said their contribution will be mentoring the parent volunteers who will lead the bike buses, teaching them safe cycling skills to pass along to students. These are skills the children will carry with them throughout their lives, as safe and confident cyclists.
Principal Applebe said this project is still in planning, but could come to fruition as early as spring.
“I think we're hoping to work together to make it happen,” she said, “and we're in the early stages but I think maybe come spring, or March, or after spring break we can sort of hit the ground running.”
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Reporting done in the Comox Valley is done in partnership with CVOX.