Sharing the Ride: Back to School

School buses are one of the safest modes of student transportation. They are designed with safety features and driven by trained professionals. 

Taking the bus makes mornings easier for parents or guardians who may be on their way to work. The bus helps to avoid rushing around at peak hours and sitting in school drop-off lines. 

The bus is a chance to socialize before the school day. The school day is long, and students are not able to freely talk to one another during class times. The bus ride is a great buffer between home and school where you can talk with friends.

School buses reduce traffic. With less cars on the road, school buses offer a positive environmental impact to the transportation sector. Every student riding the school bus is one less car idling in the drop-off and pick-up line in the mornings and afternoons. With electric models in the works, school buses will only get even more fuel-efficient and clean in years to come.  

For families, every car ride skipped equals cost savings. Reducing vehicle use eliminates wear-and-tear and a trip to the gas pump!

Catching the bus builds routine for students. Knowing what time to get to the bus stop is a great way to create structure in the mornings before school. 

Carpooling reduces our time spent in the car navigating through traffic or looking for parking spots. Extra time on school days is always a welcome benefit for parents and students alike. 

Splitting carpool days is a wonderful way for parents and guardians to give and receive support. Having other adults helping carry the load and get kids to and from school safely can become an important and long-term support system for families in the same school district.  

Sharing the ride can create and strengthen friendships. Carpooling to school creates a sense of community, with carpool buddies becoming a part of the daily routine for kids and teens.  

When you’re sharing the ride with friends and neighbors, flexibility is a benefit that you can’t get from a school bus. Functioning around work schedules, extra curriculars, sports, and appointments, parents helping to accommodate one another makes carpooling great.

We can begin teaching our children about sustainability by starting a carpool. With all the benefits of sharing the ride, working together to reduce our carbon footprint is an important lesson that comes from how we get to school in our carpool. 

Going for a bike ride every day fosters a healthy lifestyle. Starting your day with physical activity is so good for you in countless ways and sets a positive tone for the rest of the school day.

Cycling is excellent for our mental wellbeing. Kids who ride their bikes to school can see improved concentration, confidence, energy levels, and mood, while reducing stress. Riding your bike will really get you ready to learn!

Getting to school by bike teaches independence. Kids knowing their way around their neighborhood and school zone and being able to navigate on their own are great skills that make them feel self-sufficient and confident.

Choosing a green way to get to school teaches environmental awareness. Even if you only ride your bike on days with perfect weather, you are still making an impact on traffic and air quality! It is empowering to make smart and eco-friendly choices. 

Learning road and bike safety is important when cycling to school. When kids get used to the routine of riding their bike, they can even get friends or neighbors to join them, teaching other kids what they know and spreading the joy of biking to school.