Stratfield School To Host 'Bike Bus' Event For 50+ Students, Parents

The following release is from Stratfield Elementary School:

FAIRFIELD, CT — On the morning of Friday, May 12, more than 50 elementary school children and their families will join the fast-growing national Bike Bus movement by participating in the first Bike Bus to Stratfield School event.

What is a Bike Bus? A Bike Bus is when an adult chaperone leads a bike route — taking kids to school in a group — similar to a bus route. The bike bus is a fun, community-centered way to support and encourage elementary-school children to bicycle to school, giving them the experience of cycling on roads, with the safety of being directed by adults and surrounded by others cycling. Bike Buses and Walking Buses are part of a fast-growing national movement to provide safe, fun, and physically active options for elementary school children and families to get to school.

When Stratfield neighborhood resident and Livable Streets advocate, Sarah Roy, first approached Stratfield School principal, Elizabeth McGoey, and PTA president, Elizabeth Lewis, with the idea of doing a Bike Bus event, both were eager to lend their support in bringing this idea to fruition.

“We love giving children reasons to celebrate coming to school,” said McGoey. “As an educator, I know that getting kids active and making school accessible is important–and anytime we can make it fun, all the better. It's also a great way to build stronger social connections among students and families.”

“As a parent, it’s very easy to feel like an Uber driver, taking your kids to and from school and other activities,” said Lewis, “I love that this is something parents can participate in with their children. Hopefully, the Stratfield Bike Bus will make our kids more confident bike riders, and, most importantly, they’ll have a great time! This is also a great opportunity to talk to our kids about bike riding as a more sustainable form of transportation.”

“What if we could dramatically reduce childhood obesity, depression, and anxiety by changing transportation? Bike Buses are fun and inspiring–and they are also a disappointing symptom of our transportation infrastructure,” said Roy. “The issue is that it’s not safe for kids to bike to school by themselves. We’d all enjoy a better quality of life if kids were able to safely bike to school without adults having to volunteer their time to make sure they get there in one piece.”

For more information about the Bike Bus to Stratfield School event, please contact Elizabeth McGoey, Principal, Stratfield Elementary School, emcgoey@fairfieldschools.org, 203-255-8332, and/or Sarah Roy, Livable Streets Advocate, sdisanoroy@gmail.com, 617-460-2788.