Barcelona hosts first-ever bike bus summit at the place where it all started

Over a weekend late last month, the first bike bus global summit took place where it all began in Barcelona, Spain. Amongst the representatives from school mobility programs from around the world was Sam Balto from Portland, Oregon.

The meeting was attended by some 30 bike-bus organizers from Glasgow (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales), Worcester (England), Colònia, Frankfurt (Germany), Vic and Barcelona, and researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

During the event, an outline of the Barcelona Declaration on the Bicycle Bus has been worked on and reads as follows:

“#BikeBus is joy and freedom. Community bike rides to school make kids happier, more awake and ready to learn. Our community becomes more connected and resilient. We demonstrate that our streets can be for children too. As a #BikeBus community, we demand that our political leaders prioritize urban space and resources for child friendly, healthy and safer streets.”

In addition, there was a commitment to work on the expansion of the global bike bus network.

“The increase in the number of connected cities and organizations will allow to define and develop in a more pluralistic way the necessary actions to achieve in a short term more friendly and child-friendly cities,” read a press release.

Balto says he continues to be inspired by the bike bus movement.

“The joy and freedom that children feel while riding bikes is universal,” he adds.

Balto started a bike bus in Portland in the spring of 2022, which caught the attention of many. At the summit, the Portland physical education teacher had the opportunity to participate in the Barcelona bici bús which inspired him to start one at his school.

Sam Balto and company leading the bike bus (photo courtesy of Calvox & Preiche)

“Getting to participate in the bici bús Sant Antoni that inspired me to start one at Alameda Elementary was a powerful experience,”  he says. “It shows the importance of sharing joy and that addressing issues like climate change and air pollution can be really fun.”

Similar to bus service in any town, the Barcelona bike bus 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.

How will the experience in Barcelona impact the Alameda Bike Bus and the movement in general?

“Most bike bus models that I have heard about are led by parents and/or school teachers. The local Barcelona bike bus leaders do a great job working with the greater Barcelona community to engage them in supporting different bike buses around the city,” Balto explains. “I think there is an untapped interest of Portland residents to support bike buses around the city and I want to see if this is something that would be valuable to support existing current and future bike buses around the Portland area.”

According to Balto, creating a network of community volunteers might be a great way to support bike buses in the region while work can be done to provide more options covered under student transportation funding at the state level.

“I also met with researchers from Barcelona and Glasgow, Scotland who are researching the impacts of bike buses in their community,” Balto adds. “It could be very meaningful if a local university wanted to partner with current researchers and create new research about the bike bus impact in Portland and in the region.”

Gareth Johnson was at the bike bus summit representing the Shawlands Bike Bus in Glasgow, Scotland. He says getting together with what he calls that “global bike bus family” was moving and affirming.

“Real-life connections, shared learning, and collective support for each other was something that will sit with me for a long time,” he adds. “Recognising our differences, but crucially finding the commonalities and discussing how to break down barriers and scale bike buses was incredibly useful. I leave with a renewed determination to make change, to grow the movement, and ultimately get more kids safely to school on their bikes.”