Birney Bike Bus Keeps Rolling into Its Second Year

By Jenny Krones

Every school morning in University Heights, the commute to Alice Birney Elementary sounds a little different. The neighborhood fills with ringing bike bells, kids’ laughter, and the sound of spinning wheels.

It’s the daily run of the Birney Bike Bus, a neighborhood “pedal procession” started last year by local parents Tom and Jenny. The couple were already cycling their own kids to school and heard of bike buses taking off in other cities. They wanted to bring that same feeling of community and fun to Birney.

The daily ride has become especially helpful this school year. Construction at the school has made morning drop-offs and traffic more chaotic than ever. Swapping the drop-off line for the bike lane has helped families bypass the gridlock while keeping the streets around campus safer for everyone.

What began as a daily ride for a few neighbors has grown into a beloved daily routine. Each weekday, more students and pedaling parents gather at designated neighborhood stops to ride to school together.

The ride has also become a huge selling point for families joining the school community. “Before we even enrolled, my child was already excited to start at Birney just because of the bike bus,” shared one new Birney mom. “It made the transition to a new school so much fun.”

Parents in the group frequently echo how much the morning ride transforms the start of the day. “It’s not just transit, it turns what used to be a stressful morning drive into the best part of our day,” said another participating parent.

With momentum building in its second year, Jenny and Tom are inviting all Birney families to join the group. If a new stop or small route change would help any kid join, they want to hear about it! They are also hoping another family will launch a second route coming from another direction so even more students can ride to school safely.

Whether you want to join the morning ride, help lead a route or just see the route to go out and cheer the bike bus on, you can check out the Birney bike bus website at birneybikebus.com/