Barcelona bicycle school bus program a hit

A bicycle school bus program in Spain is proving popular amongst the local population and inspiring others around the world.

One day, in March 2020 two teachers from a school in the Spanish city of Vic decided to accompany nine children to school by bicycle. The route took them from El Petit Miguel school through the busiest and most polluted streets in the Osona region.

Although the first tentative pedal strokes of the program that started in March were halted due to the pandemic, the idea of a bicycle bus would not go away and the local population demanded investment in safe cycling infrastructure. When it was safer, in the fall of 2020, the first two lines of what was dubbed the “BusBici” began.

The program is organized by the advocacy group Changes in Chain (Canvis en Cadena) to transport kids to school via an organized bicycle ride. And it is growing with each passing day.

Similar to bus service in any town, the program operates on a set schedule and makes stops along a route that can be found on a smartphone Bicibus app. Through the app, people can view the timetables, and stops as well as register their children and retrieve statistical data.

When the program was first initiated as a pilot project, local police provided an escort for the bike bus. But after the two weeks were up, the police wanted it shut down. Parents, quite rightly, said heck no and the powers-that-be agreed to continue until at least December.

The key to the success of the program is the critical mass of riders on the streets, both school children and plenty of parents along for the ride, or commuting to work. The kids have jerseys that are bright and easily identifiable for other road users.

The route schedule is posted at the beginning of the week so people know where and when to join the bus. And the plan is to add more and more stops and neighborhoods.

Currently, the group has launched 40 bus lines in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area with 790 participants and more added each week.

The Bicibus program, according to Changes in Chain, is designed to improve children’s autonomy, promote bicycle mobility, and healthy habits.

Imagine how our cities will evolve with programs like this that reach people at such a young age.

Looking to start something similar? Check out this article on tips for riding a bike to school. Or, here is a guide on starting a bike train in your neighborhood produced by the organization Safe Routes.

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