FAQ

    • Basically, it’s a school bus on bikes!

    • 2+ adults supervise a group of students who bike to school together on a set route and schedule, stopping at designated “pick-up” points for other kids to join.

    • Safety in numbers!

    • Enhances youth confidence, responsibility, and community;

    • Encourages physical activity and mental health;

    • Teaches life skills and traffic safety;

    • Reduces carbon footprint and promotes sustainable transport;

    • Improves bikeability to schools.

    • Parents may choose to organize an optional after school bike bus, but parents usually prefer to organize pick-up separately due to after school activities.

    • Parents usually lock bikes at school or carry them back after drop off.

    • Runners/scooters are welcome!

    • Cargo bikes, wheelchairs, adaptive bikes, or tricycles are all viable alternatives.

    • Download Capital Bikeshare app to find the closest bike rental.

    • Contact the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee about their bike rodeo program that gives young people hands-on urban bicycle safety practice.

    • Contact the Alexandria City Public Schools Bicycling In The Schools program for information about ACPS’ in-school bike training.

    • Contact Washington Area Bicycle Association for free youth & adult bike lessons.

    • Contact Velocity Bike Co-Op about their bicycle scholarship program.

    • Contact Phoenix Bikes about their Earn-A-Bike program that teaches youth how to refurbish and repair old or donated bikes.

    1. Our Bike Bus Safety training teaches new captains step-by-step how to design safe bike routes to school, manage traffic for large groups of bike riders, respond to emergencies, and other safety tips & tricks to communicate with young riders.

    2. Every bike bus shares rules to help keep riders safe and no one joins the bike bus without a helmet.

    3. Bike buses are a way to commute to school, but they operate in public space that is not under the jurisdiction of Alexandria City Public Schools. Parents/guardians are allowed to make choices that are best for the safety and wellbeing of their children, and while Captains are reliable stewards of the bike bus, responsibility for riders’ safety ultimately falls to parents/guardians.