Parents getting Qld kids back on bikes to skip car drop-off lines
Queensland parents have come up with a wheely good solution to get kids back on their bikes for the school commute. One Brisbane mum is flagging the way.
Riding a bike to school was once a rite of passage for Australian kids, but amid the rise of helicopter parenting and traffic congestion it is nearing extinction.
After grappling with the issue, inspiration struck for Brisbane mum Michelle Brady, who has now helped three Queensland schools launch projects to get students on their bikes.
“My daughter went to Dutton Park Primary School originally and I have a son at Yeronga Primary School,” she said.
“When she started prep in 2016 we would ride up Fairfield Road.
“She would be in the bike trailer and that was fine. But over the years the traffic became more and more congested and riding up that road felt reckless.
“You had to ride up the footpath, which again has its challenges. Then you had to go up the side streets, which of course is much more time consuming up and down hills.”
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So, as her son prepared to start school, Brady began investigating safer ways for families to ride. That search led to her discovery of a bike bus movement taking to roads around the world, including at primary schools in Victoria and New South Wales.
A bike bus involves a group of students and parent riding together to a school along a set route – with set stops – supported by adult leaders.
Brady said the high-visibility of a collective presence of riders made the journey to school safer.
“It also gives people the sense that this is an organised thing,” she said. “It’s not just a random thing that’s happening.”
Brady said riders had leaned into the bike bus concept – not just logistically, but also by building a sense of community at atmosphere.
“We share location. So people then know … exactly where we are.
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“People can also message and say, ‘we’re running a minute late, we’re almost there, can you wait for us?'”
And to keep rides fun, leaders play music and offer snacks and other incentives to keep children engaged and excited about riding, Brady said.
Together with other parents, Brady has helped launch bike buses around three Queensland schools – with others running on the north side and all the way to the Atherton Tablelands.
According to Bicycle Queensland, the school run accounts for nearly 20 per cent of car trips in South East Queensland.
But in a recent post to Facebook, the groups suggested alternative options involving leaving the car at home, no matter where people lived.
“Not everyone will be able to leave the car at home and ride with their kids to school, or to send them off down the road alone,” the post said.
“For many families the time or safe infrastructure may not be there. But there are often still options.
“Halfway is OK – you may be able to not just cut distance and time, but also cut out unsafe parts of the route if you drive and park halfway.
“It doesn’t need to be every day – by allowing kids to ride to school even one or two days a week will build good habits and add important physical activity.
“Lead by example – ride or walk with your younger children; make sure you wear a helmet correctly and model safe riding behaviour on paths and roads.
“(And) keep it social. Gently encourage your kids to ride with friends. Map a safe route and share it with other parents, see if they’ll come along. Contact your school or P&C and ask about setting up an active travel group – maybe even a bike bus one day a week.”
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