Have you heard of “walking buses” or “bike trains”?

Walking buses are groups of children who walk/bike designated routes to school under adult supervision, picking up kids along the way just like a bus. For some neighborhoods, it's a casual group walk/ride, while others set up a formal plan with adults scheduled to walk on certain days. 

Such a great idea!  

In my humble opinion too many kids are driven to school everyday.  (Obviously there are many factors and some locations/circumstances where walking/biking would not work but it’s worth exploring, perhaps seasonally.)

The benefits of a program like this seem almost endless:

• Encourage physical activity by teaching children the skills to walk safely, how to identify safe routes to school, and the benefits of walking.
• Raise awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made.
• Raise concern for the environment.
• Reduce crime and take back neighborhoods for people on foot.
• Reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and speed near schools.
• Share valuable time with local community leaders, parents, and children.

National Bike to School Day is May 7^th, 2014 and National Walk to School Day is October 8^th, 2014 this may be the perfect time to connect families and launch a walking bus or bike train in your community.

Resources: walkbiketoschool.org     saferoutesinfo.org     walkingschoolbus.org

2013 was WONDERFUL!

This year I became a mom!  It is truly an awesome, magical experience & I could not LOVE my sweet baby girl, Alice Louise Malia, anymore.  If you want to see more Alice please visit:

A.L.M.S. photo blog

Not sure how much I'll be keeping up with this blog but there are a few ideas I want to continue to share:

     Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Compost!

     Ride a Bicycle as often as you possibly can.

     Watch some TEDTalks, there is so much great information available.  (These are on Netflix too!)

     Appreciate the Nature all around us.

     Practice Gratitude & maybe some Yoga too ;)

Looking forward to a 2014 filled with family, friends, hard work, ups, downs, fun & LOVE!

Rails-to-Trails

My mom just told me about bicycling “rails-to-trails” around Lake Mead, I had never heard of the conservancy. Now that I am in the know, I am a big fan.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., whose mission it is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines & connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.

Check out a trail near you, traillink.

Help build a trail near you, railstotrails!

 

Bikes are better

May = National Ride Your Bike Month

Have fun & be safe riding your bicycles out there.

Don't have a bike!?!?  Go buy one ASAP.

more on cycling love
stretch it out after your ride

Smart Travel

How cool!  VIA Rail Canada is cyclists friendly:   

“Whether you’re a Sunday biker or a professional cyclist, taking your bike on board with VIA Rail allows you to discover all the culture, history and authenticity of these regions from a whole new perspective,” said Steve Del Bosco, VIA’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer.  “When you take the train and your bike not only are you helping to reduce our carbon footprint, you can relax and have fun getting there too.”  www.viarail.ca

Unfortunately, Amtrak doesn’t make it as easy but it’s still possible.

What a great way to plan a summer holiday! 

I use to take my bicycle on the train in Melbourne but it wasn’t exactly encouraged… in Tempe the light rail has vertical bike racks that get the bikes out of the way but require some serious upper body strength to use. 

Whether for daily commutes or exploring bike/train/bike is a great to way travel.  Happy Summer!

Bike LB or Bike Somewhere

Friday night I worked a booth at the Long Beach Bike Festival.  The Long Beach Bike Festival & Tour of Long Beach continues Saturday so if you are in the area head to Pine Avenue & Shoreline Drive to join in the fun as we continue to make Long Beach the most bicycle friendly city in America.


There was a viewing of the movie Riding Bikes with the Dutch, a film by local cycling advocate Michael Bauch.  You don't have to be in Long Beach to check it out:

Remember, Bike to Work Week is May 16th-20th!  If you can't bike to work, just bike somewhere.


Have fun & be safe.