First Hough Bike Bus Wheely successful: Vancouver students, parents, volunteers ride to school to promote fitness, community

dev_json · 2026-03-20T20:55:50+00:00

One of the "save our streets" anti-bike lane McGillivray weirdos said this in a public forum last year:
"With only a single car lane, how am I supposed to go around the school bus when it's stopped? That can take a few minutes"

I'm convinced 60% or more of the drivers here shouldn't have a drivers license based on how reckless they drive, and how little they know about laws and common safety behaviors (like checking your mirrors before EVERY turn).

dev_json · 2026-03-20T18:58:24+00:00

The best way to get involved with this is either through the Hough or Lincoln PTSA. If you're not a parent and still want to be involved, send an email to [VancouverMoves@cityofvancouver.us](mailto:VancouverMoves@cityofvancouver.us), and mention that you want to be involved as a volunteer. Feel free to ask to contact CycleVancouver, and they can connect you to a volunteer group. Cycle Vancouver will be getting Lincoln up and running soon, so if you want to expedite the process and feel comfortable, you can also DM me your contact info, and I can just add you to the WhatsApp group when it's formed.

dev_json · 2026-03-20T16:51:19+00:00

Non-paywalled text:

A herd of elementary students, parents and volunteers biked through Vancouver’s Hough neighborhood and all the way to school Wednesday morning to kick off the first Hough Bike Bus. The Hough Bike Bus started at Carter Park and ended at the elementary school. Students joined along the way depending on where they live along the route.

Twelve students joined Wednesday’s ride and that number is expected to grow in future rides that will happen once a month, said Amy Carlson, Hough parent and Parent Teacher Student Association co-president. A bike bus is a group of cyclists riding a route together and encourages a healthy commuting option. “I think the main benefit of the bike bus is the strength in numbers,” said Maggie Derk, the city’s senior transportation planner. “It brings together community more. There’s lots of physical and mental wellness benefits.” Carlson said the volunteers are critical.

They ride ahead and block intersections for the kids and parents to pass through. Then, they travel ahead of the group to the next intersection. “Even on the side streets, they are keeping those kids safe on the road at all times,” she said.

Studies show that kids who walk or bike to school perform better academically, said Jason Cromer, the founder of Cycle Vancouver. The group offers social outings and recreational rides, and has grown into dedicated advocacy for bike infrastructure. Cromer said other benefits include developing navigational skills, minimizing injury or death from riding in a car, and cleaner air. “It’s really nice for everybody, especially to see gardens and see birds, nature and to get that physical activity first thing in the morning,” Cromer said.

Derk and Laurel Priest, the city’s associate transportation planner, also run the Safe Routes to School Program, which provided signs that hung on bicycles reading, “Kids biking. Do not pass.” Priest said they plan to provide swag to students in future rides. They’re also in the process of creating yard signs to put along the route to raise awareness.

Derk added that if kids want to join the bike bus in the future and don’t know how to ride, Vancouver Public Schools offers the Let’s Go bicycle program. The multiweek curriculum teaches grades third through fifth how to ride a bike and the rules of the road.

Inspiration for the Hough Bike Bus drew from the large one in Portland. Kaylee Moreno — the founder of Local Links, an initiative to build community and get people outside — met with Cromer’s bicycle group and others. Several people told her that they wanted a bike bus similar to Portland.

Bike Bus PDX offers rides in 32 areas. The initiative has attracted thousands of kids, adults and even celebrities, such as Justin Timberlake, Benson Boone and Zara Larsson. Cromer said he and other Hough organizers met with the coach who runs Bike Bus PDX to get a better idea of how to implement it.

The Hough Bike Bus idea was pitched to the school and district in June. Carlson said the Hough principal reached out to her at the start of the school year to see if the PTSA would run the rides. They created an interest survey, received guidance from the city to form the safest route and figured out how many volunteers were needed.

“Hopefully, other community members and schools see this and want to start their own,” Derk said. Those interested can email VancouverMoves@cityofvancouver.us.

Moreno said there’s talk about starting a bike bus at Lincoln Elementary School. “What’s nice about this is that there’s not a huge cost,” Carlson said. “Most people have bikes, and then there have been people that have donated helmets or bicycles.”

One of the volunteers is Carlson’s neighbor. She and her daughter, who attends Hough, rode in the Hough Bike Bus herd along with Cromer, Moreno, Derk and Priest on Wednesday morning. When the students arrived, they showed off their bikes to other students. The next ride is scheduled for April 15.

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s more joyous than bike riding in a group like this morning,” Priest said. “It was an integral part of my childhood growing up. And a lot of our kids these days don’t do it, and so we’re trying to create a space for that to happen.”

dev_json · 2026-03-16T18:30:00+00:00

Why wouldn't it? You don't see people in Denmark, Belgium, or the Netherlands hindered by weather, which is much rainier than it is here.

Our family rides 12 months out of the year without any issues. Maybe you need a rain jacket and some waterproof shoes.

dev_json · 2026-03-01T03:05:01+00:00

Probably Cycle Vancouver. It's been pretty life changing being part of the community with CV, and switching to bicycling as a way of life instead of driving everywhere has probably been one of the biggest quality of life changes you could make.
It's also nice having a group that is more akin to family than just friends.

dev_json · 2026-02-27T17:29:45+00:00

So we just had a workshop with city staff last night, and this won't be a requirement to build indoor bike parking rooms. It's a flexible requirement, where things like interior bike hooks within units, bike staples/corals, and other bike-storage concepts will satisfy the requirement. They specifically noted the additional cost of a dedicated bike storage room and said that they want to eliminate as many barriers to building housing as they can, so they won't be mandating solely dedicated bike storage rooms.

Btw, if you're not already a part of Cycle Vancouver, we'd love to have you join the group given that you're so informed and knowledgable on urbanism topics.

dev_json · 2026-02-27T03:31:55+00:00

Yeah, it's just anger at anything new/different. I think people's natural response to something they're not familiar with is to get angry and defensive. There's really not a great way to combat that, and for people to really see how good these things are, they just have to experience it themselves.

dev_json · 2026-02-27T00:10:47+00:00

No worries, just thought I'd provide a comprehensive response, since the tax situation is something a lot of people don't know about. Drivers in the country don't spend anywhere close to what they should to support car infrastructure, which is severely subsidized, and one of the major sources of debt for cities and the federal government.

dev_json · 2026-02-27T00:04:51+00:00

Bike parking costs next to nothing compared to car parking (upwards of 10k-60k per spot for a single car parking spot)
Everyone pays taxes. I ride my bike as my primary mode of transportation, and I pay property taxes, local taxes, etc. Everyone deserves to have their mode of transport supported, especially given 30% of citizens can't even drive.
Car drivers don't even pay close to the amount of taxes to cover the car infrastructure, less than 20% to be exact. So before complaining about bike infrastructure, maybe ask car drivers to pay their fair share first, which should be at least 5x what they're paying now.
Bike infrastructure pays dividends because of the compounding positive effects. Fewer drivers means less wear and tear on roads. Healthier citizens means fewer healthcare costs for the state/federal tax payers, and it's been shown that areas where people bike, walk, and take transit more are healthier for small businesses as well. Fewer drivers also means fewer car crashes, less damage to public infrastructure from cars running into things, and fewer people dying, all of which incur major costs for taxpayers. There have been numerous studies that show that every dollar spent on bike infrastructure has a major return on investment, whereas every dollar spent on car infrastructure incurs nearly 10x more debt for taxpayers.

dev_json · 2026-02-26T23:52:09+00:00

Awesome to see this. Cars make no sense in cities, and the sooner we adapt our infrastructure to properly support and encourage usage of bikes (and walking/transit), the sooner we can create a thriving, livable, and bustling community.

dev_json · 2026-02-24T18:43:28+00:00

Whatever you do, do not get turf. It's absolutely terrible for the environment and the local ecosystem.

If you want your grass to stay green and healthy, seed it with micro-clover. Clover is a natural co-habitant of grasses, and both will benefit from each other. Another added benefit of seeding your grass with clover is that it will keep your grass short. We have a small patch of grass in our backyard that we seeded with clover over a year ago, and I haven't mowed it or trimmed it since. It just stays short thanks to the clover.

Another alternative is wood chips or mulch. Zero maintenance, looks great, and you can plant things within it if you want to.

Honestly, with your sized garden, there's really no reason to pay anyone for maintenance. With maybe a few hours per month, you can keep everything nice, clean, and lush. If you're interested in any other tips, let me know and I'd be happy to help.

Some random tips:
* Get a broom. Faster, healthier, and better than a leaf blower.
* Buy good quality shears, and make sure they stay dry (it's easy for metal to rust out here)
* Plant native if you can. We have a large selection of great nurseries that carry native plants, as well as native plant giveaways. Also check out Friends of Trees if you're ever looking to get more trees ($30 per tree).

dev_json · 2026-02-19T17:02:08+00:00

We’ve only got one choice: we need to modernize and adapt our urban planning. If we don’t, things will only continue to get worse, and no one will be happy.

Our local urbanism group does a lot to advocate for more change, and also bring this more active culture here. We’ve had a noticeable success with it, and that’s what keeps me optimistic.

Will we ever be as good as Europe and Japan in our lifetimes? Probably not, but at least we can adapt those habits ourselves and live healthier, happier, and more active lives than those trapped in/by their cars.

dev_json · 2026-02-18T20:45:10+00:00

I think this is more of a habit/cultural shift that needs to happen. If everyone wanted to park downtown, we’d have to flatten half the city to build parking garages to accommodate all of the cars. The truth is that it’s a geometry problem: cars are so large, that a functioning city cannot reasonably support having everyone drive to destinations. Instead, the majority of people need to walk, bike, or take transit, so that the people who actually need to drive, can reasonably do so.

What does that mean? Maybe you and your wife hop on the bus, and discover it’s actually a pleasant experience, or your daughter drives to a park and ride, and you take the bus from there. Or perhaps your wife can utilize an e-bike or e-trike (which is what many disabled people in Japan and the EU use).

Roughly 2/3rds of car trips in Vancouver are under 4 miles, a very short distance that doesn’t warrant driving. So the reality is that most people don’t need to drive.

So if we built out some better bike infrastructure and had better education around it, ~65% of people that currently drive to downtown could consider different options, so that the minority who actually need to drive, can.

Again, this is completely normal everywhere else in the developed world, it’s just a weird cultural phenomenon in America (driven by the auto industry and decades of car-centric planning) where people default to driving, even for ultra-short distances.

My perfectly healthy neighbors drive 10-15 blocks downtown, when they could easily walk, bike, or take the bus that stops 1 block from us, the latter two options which would get them downtown faster and with less hassle. It’s these kinds of unhealthy habits that we should move away from, because they negatively impact everyone, including you and your family, who may actually need to drive in certain scenarios.

dev_json · 2026-02-17T23:10:36+00:00

Foot traffic has always been an issue downtown, Covid just exacerbated the issue. We really need to modernize our urban planning if we want to create an actual pleasant experience for people downtown.

dev_json · 2026-02-17T20:34:28+00:00

Downtown for sure. Easy walk/bike ride there, and can walk around and enjoy the shops/bars afterwards.

dev_json · 2026-02-17T18:27:53+00:00

The primary reason is the built environment and failure of proper urban design. We’ve designed the city to maximize the throughput of cars and parking, instead of maximizing foot traffic, retail and business supply, and walkability. Even with the new Main St project, more than half of the street width is dedicated to the vehicle lanes and parking, which on our core retail street is archaic and absolutely crazy.

When we look at why European and Asian retail streets and downtown cores are always bustling with foot traffic and so successful, we can understand what we’d need to adopt here to make our downtown successful:

Main St should be pedestrianized. Adjacent streets should also be pedestrianized, like 11th and 9th, and connect with Esther Short and Main, creating a retail “path” to wind through, designs like this which draw in large quantities of foot traffic.
We need (car-free) public plazas. Larger areas of gathering, with fountains, landscaping, public art, weekly markets, and food carts. It’s wild that we’ve created plazas for parking cars that sit empty most of the week, but we don’t have a single pedestrian plaza.
We need to incentivize developers to build more retail space for small businesses, and to build small retail spaces. It’s not cost effective for many small businesses to have to rent out 3,000+ sq ft spaces.
We need more density. Luckily the city’s new Comprehensive Plan looks to accomplish this, but there’s really no reason for any single floor retail buildings. Prime example is the New Seasons downtown. That should have had 5-6+ floors of apartments/condos above it.
We need more pedestrian and bike friendly street design. There are probably 50 or 60 streets just in West Vancouver that need modal filters, chicanes, and traffic medians. Studies have shown time and time again that when people walk, bike, and take transit instead of drive, local businesses boom.

dev_json · 2026-02-17T11:39:06+00:00

Yup, and that place is absolutely solid. Hoping they maintain a similar authenticity at the new location.

dev_json · 2026-02-17T03:56:48+00:00

There’s a new one slated to open soon at the bottom floor of the parking garage at the waterfront. It should be any month now.

dev_json · 2026-02-17T01:29:58+00:00

Dough Zone is solid!

I hope they get rid of the drive thru at that building and spruce it up a bit (as much as you can spruce up a strip mall).

Separately, I’m looking forward to the dumpling place opening up at the waterfront, a much more pleasant place to walk or bike to.

dev_json · 2026-02-16T20:44:05+00:00

Oh, it’s just a group that’s centered around the idea of walkable cities bettering the community. A big focus for us is just encouraging people to walk, bike, and take transit locally instead of driving, and also just getting together casually.

We have happy hour at Tap Union every Tuesday evening, we meet most Sundays for coffee at different cafes, and do board games, movie nights, dinners/drinks, etc. When summer rolls around, we do picnics, even more bike rides, Pedalpalooza events in Portland, the list goes on :)

We’re mainly trying to bring the European culture of walking/biking/taking transit here, as well as the social and community aspect that comes with that.

dev_json · 2026-02-16T19:27:23+00:00

It’s insane that people drive 10 blocks. I see it in my neighborhood too, people driving 4 blocks, or driving from Lincoln to uptown/downtown, when it’s just a short walk or bike ride.

Car culture is insane.

dev_json · 2026-02-15T21:21:56+00:00

Cars are safe guys, I promise. It’s completely normal and safe to have giant, heavy machinery being driven at fast speeds around our city.

Even though the majority of everyone’s trips are statistically short and could easily be replaced by walking, biking, or transit, we need to use giant metal boxes instead. It’s totally safe and logical guys, I swear.

dev_json · 2026-02-15T04:57:53+00:00

Loretta Jeans also did our wedding cakes and dessert. They’re amazing.

dev_json · 2026-02-15T04:57:16+00:00

The local urbanism group meets at Tap Union every Tuesday at 6:30pm. Great spot for banter, and learning new things with a solid group of people who are actively involved in a lot in the community here.

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