How to Start a Walking School Bus or Bicycle Train

What is a walking school bus? A walking school bus or bicycle train is a group of children walking or biking to school under the supervision of at least one adult. It’s like a carpool without the car. It can be as basic as a couple of families taking turns walking or biking their children to school or it can be a very organized, structured route with several meeting points and a set timeline.

Why start a walking school bus or bicycle train? • Fewer children are walking or biking to school than ever before.• Childhood obesity is becoming an increasingly serious health issue in the United States.• You can spend more quality time with your children, and model positive behavior while exercising.• Groups walking or biking together mean safety in numbers.• You can save time, especially when parents in your group take turns walking or biking with the students.• Studies show that children who walk or bike to school perform better academically and behaviorally.• You can save money on gas.•

How do I start a walking school bus or bicycle train? Start small and simple!Begin in your neighborhood, invite another family to alternate days or ask around the block for other interested families. Try following these steps:

1. See if your school has a Safe Routes to School map that you can consult for a route.2. Invite families who live nearby to walk or bike.3. Pick a route and take a test walk on a weekend when you can take your time. The route can pick children up at their

homes, or can meet at designated “bus stops” along the way.4. Decide how often the group will walk together and which parents will supervise on which days.5. Have fun!

Growing your walking school bus or bicycle train • Conduct a walking audit of your neighborhood. If you find an area of particular concern, talk to your school district

or city planners to see how you can help improve the area.• Involve local law enforcement or your school resource officer. Let them know about your efforts to get more people

walking and biking. They may be able to assist you.• Work with your school district’s transportation department to establish a school bus drop-off program in which

students who take the bus are dropped at a designated spot near school and met by staff or volunteers so they can walk to school.

Stephanie Leonard, Bicycle Colorado 303-417-1544 x103*Information provided by: Bicycle Colorado www.denvergov.org/SRTS

For more information contact:Ashley FrederickDept. Environmental Health720-865-5453

720-865-5453

SAF Eroutes to schoolD E N V E R

Why encourage remote drop-off? For students who live too far from school to bike or walk, a remote drop off program can bridge the gap. It’s an excellent option for students who choose to attend a school that is not near their neighborhood. Participants in this program benefit from increased activity and improved academic readiness and health. The school experiences less congestion and safer perimeters. Remote drop-off programs can start with a few families meeting regularly to walk from a local park and can be expanded and formalized to include maps with meeting locations and times that are available on a school’s website.

Remote drop-off for school buses

How do I start a remote drop-off program?1. Work with community partners to identify appropriate locations and schedules for drop-offs. 2. An ideal location is an easy meeting place for parents that is within a mile of the school and has a safe and

accessible route to the school, such as a park, library or church. Consider using the internet to map a route.3. Work with your community partners to obtain and schedule trusted volunteers to lead the students to campus.

If multiple volunteers are present, one can lead a wheeling group while the other leads a walking group. 4. Encourage students to use any method of active transportation they prefer, including bikes, skateboards, scooters,

rollerblades and their own two feet.5. Promote remote drop-off programs through flyers, social media and the school’s website.6. Encourage volunteers to familiarize themselves with walking and biking safety.

Growing your walking school bus or bicycle train • Ensure there is easy and accessible parking. • Verify with the property owner that the space is available for use at desired times. • Take time on a weekend to sample routes to and from school to find the quickest and safest route.

How to Start a Remote Drop-off Program (within designated walking/biking zones)

Discuss a remote drop-off location with your transportation department. A drop-off location that is a safe distance from campus and has an adult volunteer who walks students all the way to campus allows bus riders to participate in and benefit from walking and biking activities.

Busy drop-off and pick-up times are a major concern for most schools as they contribute to student tardiness, safety issues and pollution. Creating a safe and convenient location off school property for parents to drop off and pick up their children can ease the burden of heavy traffic on and around school property.

Remote drop-off for cars

Stephanie Leonard, Bicycle Colorado 303-417-1544 x103*Information provided by: Bicycle Colorado www.denvergov.org/SRTS

For more information contact:Ashley FrederickDept. Environmental Health720-865-5453

720-865-5453

SAF Eroutes to schoolD E N V E R

Fun, Easy and Free (or Cheap) Encouragement Ideas

Incentives: • Stickers, small prizes and high fives can be great

motivators for students.• Prizes can range from an extra recess or class party to a

new bike!• Create punch cards or backpack tags for students. Each

day they walk, bike or carpool they can earn a stamp.• Incentives can be FREE, such as lunch at a special table,

extra recess, student signatures on a poster that gets hung in the school hallway, etc.

Announcements and posters:• Make announcements or use the school marquis to

encourage students to bike or walk to school on a particular day (“Walking and Wheeling Wednesdays”).

• Have students make posters or banners to promote walking and biking to school safely, and hang them somewhere visible

Classroom contests:• Challenge each class or grade to have a Walking and

Wheeling contest for a day, month, semester or the entire year. The grades with the most participation are eligible to win a prize.

• Fire Up Your Feet: Track trips to raise money for your school at co.fireupyourfeet.org.

• Flat 14ers: Track activity and see how many mountains you can climb at flat14ers.org.

• Walk and Bike to School Days: Register your school at walkbiketoschool.org.

Get creative:• Use chalk to write walking and biking

encouragement messages on sidewalks outside the school.

• Have art classes paint the bike racks or decorate the

school with bicycling and walking themed art.

Plan rides and walks to school: • Encourage involved parents to plan walking/

biking groups (similar to a carpool) from different neighborhoods. Use walking school buses, bike trains, and remote drop-off activities as examples. These are fun and safe ways to meet people and get to school.

• Use Way To Go SchoolPool for assistance with setting up a family carpool, walking school bus, bicycle train or RTD carpool system at your school: waytogo.org/getting-around/schoolpool

• Use parents or older students as “corner captains” on main routes to school to help supervise students walking and biking to and from school.

Keep it rolling: • Try “Walking & Wheeling Wednesdays” one time per

week, month or semester.• Use student council or older student group to help

plan your events, hand out incentives, help lock bikes and cheer fellow students on as they arrive at school.

Why do we need an encouragement program? Walking and bicycling encouragement programs are designed to increase the number of students who walk or bike to school. All it takes is a little motivation. A parent, teacher, wellness committee and/or student council can work with school staff to create a plan. Pick from the ideas below or find your own creative ideas for your school. Remember, every school is different. Find what works best for your school.

Stephanie Leonard, Bicycle Colorado 303-417-1544 x103*Information provided by: Bicycle Colorado www.denvergov.org/SRTS

For more information contact:Ashley FrederickDept. Environmental Health720-865-5453

720-865-5453

SAF Eroutes to schoolD E N V E R