We saw a glimpse of what the entire city could be like when Mayor Mamdani rode with the Bergen Bike Bus on Wednesday.
Shielded by vested marshals, a line of children and parents rode with the mayor in a tight, joyful formation — a bike “bus.” It looked simple and obvious. But it took a ton of social, physical and logistical work.
Since late 2022, the Bergen Bike Bus has rolled across Brooklyn nearly every Wednesday school is in session thanks to volunteer riders who safely escort families through a mess of blocked bike lanes, road debris and impatient drivers.
It shouldn’t be so challenging for kids to simply bike to school, and thankfully the mayor recognized that. He didn’t just put out a press release, he showed up and promised change: Bergen Street and its eastbound counterpart Dean Street will become bike boulevards.
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The mayor explicitly acknowledged the work of bike bus volunteers. Families “have for years strapped on their helmets and pulled out their bikes to show the need for better cycling infrastructure,” he said. “Now, we’re building a city that meets that vision.”
That matters. It signals this isn’t just about a one-day event, or one corridor. It shows a true understanding of the need. But understanding is just the start. For most New York City families, Wednesday’s scene is still out of reach.
The Bergen Bike Bus offers safety in numbers.
I’m writing this as a father, a hit-and-run survivor and someone who has spent years pushing for safer streets in this city. For too long we have treated safe routes to school as an aspiration instead of a baseline.
The bike bus movement has stepped in to fill that gap. A bike bus is a coordinated group ride to school where families join along a set route and pick up riders as they go. A handful becomes dozens; the street feels safer and the ride becomes joyful. From Barcelona to Portland, Oregon, there’s global proof that this works. Kids are excited by their communal commute. The bike bus offers safety in numbers until the time comes when the city builds safety in design.
But bike buses depend on volunteers: Already exhausted parents coordinate in group chats. Volunteers hold intersections with their bodies. That’s not sustainable. A new route might spring up organically, but a full network of bike buses seems unlikely.
With more than 1,800 public schools and over a million school kids, New York City could become a bonafide leader in the American bike bus movement — if the program were structured and scaled.
The mission of safely transporting students already touches many levels of government from NYPD’s vital crossing guards, to the NYC Public School’s Office of Pupil Transportation covering yellow school buses, OMNY cards and ferry tickets. The city Department of Transportation has been an outstanding safety partner for students with in-class education programs like “Cross this Way,” a Get Kids Biking in-school initiative, and countless events offering bells, lights and helmets to those in need. However, none of these agencies have a clearly defined support plan for bike buses within their existing toolkits. Not yet.
The path forward starts with a city-funded localized pilot program. Officials should work with existing route leaders to transform feedback into safer streets. They should identify and build connections with bike-curious parents and students elsewhere and support them in launching their own routes. Micro-grants could help fund basic supplies, and high school students could receive community service hours for marshalling rides. DOT can help ensure every school has bike parking.
The mayor campaigned on fast, free buses and appointed a seasoned bus “czar” to deliver on it. A bike bus is, in many ways, the fastest and free-est version of that idea.
Wednesday was a strong signal. Mayor Mamdani showed up. He rode. He centered the children. He acknowledged the need and the families who have been proving the concept for years. He also has challenged New Yorkers to think bigger, to move faster, to try bold ideas, to build the kind of city we’ve been told for too long is out of reach. Increasing the city’s support of the bike bus movement is not radical. It’s the practical execution of that challenge.