When it comes to local bike trends, one of the things I’m looking forward to is how the bike bus phenomenon plays out in the coming months and years. Will these mass group rides to schools eventually fizzle out like “bike trains” of yesteryear did? Or will they continue to swell and become as ubiquitous as yellow school buses? And beyond bike buses themselves, will they have an impact on bicycling and safe streets advocacy more broadly?
As Portland’s bike buses evolve, we are beginning to get answers to questions like these.
When the Abernethy Elementary School bike bus went daily, organizers told me it had an immediate impact on how the community perceived the event. It was suddenly more accessible, more reliable, and inspired more engagement. Then on May 22nd, Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Millicent Williams and City Traffic Engineer Wendy Cawley joined them, a move that represents further evolution.
And turns out it wasn’t Director Williams’ first time on a bike bus. In a video posted by Alameda Elementary School bike bus leader Sam Balto to social media today, Williams said the bike bus, “Shows me what we need to do at the transportation bureau to make sure that every community that wants to do this, has the ability to do this safely and comfortably.”
And now the City of Portland’s transportation bureau wants to adopt the bike bus playbook for getting employees to work. The Portland Bureau of Transportation tried its first ever employee bike bus on May 1st (the first day of Bike Month) and it went so well, they plan to make it a regular thing.
According to PBOT Communications Director Hannah Schafer, the idea of an employee bike bus came from internal staff who felt it would be a fun way to build camaraderie during Bike Month. “They were inspired by all the amazing bike buses we’ve seen in Portland schools and wanted to try our own version,” Schafer shared with BikePortland last week.
Here’s how they did it…
Staff from PBOT’s communications and social media teams used internal newsletters and other channels to gauge interest. Staff were given a form that asked the general area they commute from and whether or not they’d be interested in being ride leaders. 45 employees responded to that initial survey — plenty to signal the initiative was worth pursuing.
Organizers then cross-referenced locations of employees who wanted to lead rides to come up with possible meeting spots and routes to the Portland Building on SW 4th and Madison. “The ride leaders were essential,” Schafer said. “They helped refine routes and made sure there would be a person waiting to greet riders and show them the way.”
Once the meeting places and routes were set, the event details were shared through the Bureau of Human Resources in a citywide newsletter sent to all 7,500 city employees.
On event day, staff met at six different locations and hopped onto unique routes that all led to Salmon Springs in Waterfront Park where they gathered for a group photo before rolling up SW Main to the Portland Building’s robust bike parking area. But before locking up for the day, Schafer made sure one element of the event was in place: free coffee and treats!
“Every bike bus had adventures to share,” Schafer recalled about the event. “The SE Belmont bike bus coincided with the Abernethy School bike bus, resulting in an epic, joyful moment at Ladds Circle that staff couldn’t stop talking about. The NE Woodlawn bike bus got cheers and waves from PBOT colleagues working on an ADA curb ramp along their route. The Woodlawn and University Park groups came together at Peace Park just before crossing the Steel Bridge and stopped for an impromptu group photo.”
Schafer also said that, during the ride some staff got to know more about colleagues and/or meet other city employees for the first time.
Over 40 city employees participated and Schafer said it was such a success they are now planning monthly bike buses through September. They will start a bit earlier (to make sure everyone gets to those early meetings on time!) and add more start locations to meet demand.
Schafer thinks PBOT’s approach could be a great model for other workplaces. “We can’t wait to see how our bike buses grow,” Schafer said.
The bike bus might end up being the most effective advocate for cycling in Portland. It’s one thing for city engineers and planners to hear from Portlanders at meetings, or experience streets on a site visit or while biking to work alone. But riding in a group can encourage a much deeper appreciation for the myriad social, mental, and physical benefits of cycling that transcend engineering calculations. This experience with human infrastructure could end up leading to more of the concrete kind.