Bike Buses in Provo
A Provo Walk & Roll to School resource for families interested in bike buses
An exciting way to ride to school together
A bike bus is a group of kids who ride to school together along the same route at set times, often with parents or other responsible adults. Kids may use bicycles or scooters when the parent organizer's route, pace, equipment plan, and group practices work for them. Kids get to ride with neighbors instead of riding alone.
Provo Walk & Roll to School starts with walking buses because families do not need special equipment and more families may be able to join. Bike buses remain an established and exciting option. Parent-led bike buses have operated at Sunset View Elementary, Timpanogos Elementary, and Rock Canyon Elementary in Provo, and at Cascade Elementary in Orem. They show what families can build when one parent starts, the group chooses a route it can follow, and everyone knows when to meet.
Bike buses need more preparation than walking buses. Kids need working bicycles or scooters, helmets, and the riding skills the route requires. The group also needs to agree on which kinds of scooters fit the plan, pace, how riders will communicate, what they will do at intersections, and how weather or other changes affect the ride. Start with days and times families can keep.
Find a bike bus with current information
Joining an existing bus may be the easiest way to begin. Ask the parent organizer for the current route, meeting points, days and times, school entrance, adult plan, required equipment, how updates are sent, and whether the bus also runs after school.
View current local bike-bus routes and flyers →
Routes and schedules can change. Check the current details with the parent organizer before you join. A public listing does not mean that BikeWalk Provo volunteers have approved the route or promised that the ride will happen.
Start a bike bus
1. Become the initial parent organizer
Every bus needs someone willing to start. Ask who is interested, help families meet, and lead the first plan. Ask other parents to share the work as the group grows.
2. Find families who are ready to ride
Ask neighbors, classmates, or school families whether they want to ride together on a regular day. A PTA or school may help share your information or help nearby parents find one another without running the bus.
Begin with the families who are ready. A small group that rides on days families can count on is a real start.
3. Look at a possible route
Mark where interested families live. Look at kids’ riding skills, access to bicycles or scooters, streets and crossings, traffic, the school entrance, and places where riders can meet. Choose a first route that families can understand and follow.
If route guidance would help, BikeWalk Provo volunteers will look at a possible route with you. This does not mean BikeWalk Provo volunteers approve the route or guarantee that it is safe.
4. Choose days and times families can keep
The bus does not have to run every day. One or two days each week can work well when families can count on them. Choose days, a start time, meeting points, and a school arrival time that families can keep.
5. Plan adult participation
We strongly encourage at least one parent or other responsible adult to ride with the group. Decide who will ride, how adults will take turns, and what happens if an expected adult cannot come. Each family decides what is right for its kid.
6. Agree on equipment and group practices
Communicate what kids need before the first ride. Topics may include:
- A bicycle or scooter that works properly.
- A properly fitted helmet.
- Clothing and visibility that fit the weather and light.
- The riding skills kids need for the route.
- Group pace and spacing.
- How riders will signal starts, stops, turns, and problems.
- What the group will do at intersections or when conditions change.
Families will have different equipment, experience, and comfort levels. Explain what the ride requires so each family can decide whether it works for its kid.
7. Share the plan and begin
Tell families the current route, meeting points, days and times, which adults will ride, what equipment kids need, how you will send updates or cancel, and whether the bus also runs after school. Choose a first day, make the ride, and ask families what worked and what should change.
What BikeWalk Provo volunteers offer
BikeWalk Provo volunteers will help every parent organizer who asks. They will talk through the idea and first steps, then tailor the help to what the parent organizer needs. That help may include looking at possible routes, making a custom map, sharing materials, signs, online resources, or local examples, or helping get the word out.
BikeWalk Provo volunteers do not run or supervise bike buses, certify or guarantee that they are safe, promise riders or equipment, provide staff for regular trips, or pay ongoing costs.
Decide whether the ride works for your family
Biking or scooting on public streets involves traffic, weather, and other changing conditions. Think about your kid’s age, riding experience, bicycle or scooter, helmet, the route, traffic, which adults will help, and how the group will ride together. The parent organizer chooses the group plan; you decide whether the ride is right for your kid.
Ready to ride?
Check the current details with the parent organizer before joining a listed bike bus. If you want to start one, write down the school, the part of town, possible days and times, and any families who may be interested. Then Contact BikeWalk Provo to talk through your idea.