When Phil Yip’s young child was about to start kindergarten, he and his wife began looking into Alameda County Safe Routes to School. As a car-free family, they were inspired by the idea of getting to school by bike, and they invited a few friends to ride along with them. What started as a simple idea has grown into a weekly community tradition at Chabot Elementary School—The Chabot Bike Bus.
They launched the first Chabot Bike Bus in October 2021, on International Walk and Roll to School Day, with about 20 riders. Since then, the Bike Bus has grown to include dozens of families every Wednesday morning, turning the trip to school into a chance for neighbors to ride and chat—building a visible, moving community as they ride to to school together.
(Middle photo) Phil Yip, the founder of the Chabot Bike Bus, with kindergarten parent Trenton Arthur and his daughter Orion. (Photo on right) Chris and Wyatt Wiggum. Photos: Molly Porter and Dennis Guikema
Although the Bike Bus only meets up on Wednesdays, many families ride to school every day, and sometimes for special bike-focused occasions. Most notably, the children find the experience exhilarating, and learn to navigate roadways safely and effectively.
Phil likes to quote writer Tom Flood who wrote about kids on bikes, and said, “They are not in the way of us driving, we are in the way of them living” because he too believes strongly that it’s important to help children enjoy public spaces and experience a sense of community.
Phil continues…
“During the Wednesday morning group rides, kids have time to joke and tell stories to each other before school. Our Bike Bus alums, who are now in middle school, have strong friendships based on years of weekly rides. Other community members have stepped in to join: Erica, the children's librarian at the Rockridge Branch, has joined in for years.
“City Councilmembers Zac Unger and Dan Kalb, former Emeryville Mayor John Bauters, and AC Transit Director Jean Walsh have ridden with us as well. Our neighbor Tom has unicycled with us many times to liven up the ride; and people on their morning walks, customers at Ain't Normal, Mr. Moore, the principal at Claremont Middle—they cheer us on and yell hello as we ride past and ring our bells,” says Phil.
Phil’s views are shared by this year’s project co-leader Dennis Guikema, who also likes how the bus provides safety and has a low environmental impact.
“The bike bus is a joyful and community-building experience. While there is minimal impact on traffic with 40 to 60 bikes passing through every Wednesday morning, motorists are usually respectful and safe. It’s important to remember that for every family on bikes, there is one less car on the road, which is a net gain when it comes to traffic flow, school dropoff, and parking.”
As more joined the Bike Bus along the way, dozens of families rode their way to school. Video Clip: Anna L Marks
Chabot is not alone in offering a Bike Bus to school. A worldwide survey tracked over 470 active Bike Buses across at least 17 countries, with about 200 operating in the United States. Portland, Oregon, alone has 19 separate active Bike Buses for its public schools.
In Rockridge, the group leaves from the corner of Cavour and Miles at 8:05 am each Wednesday, picking up riders along the way... going up Shafter, to College, and then Chabot. Some families arrive by cargo bike or e-bike, but what matters most is that they arrive together—riding, talking, waving to neighbors and starting the school day with a little more connection and a lot more fun.
Bike Bus co-leaders have a listserv where families can opt-in to receive weekly reminders and other bike-related information.
Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools program works with 300+ schools in Alameda County to educate, encourage, and support families walking, biking, carpooling, and taking transit to school.
