The bike bus community demands that our political leaders re-prioritize urban space and resources for child friendly, healthy and safer streets.
The first global meeting of bike bike buses took place 30-31st March 2023 with the aim of sharing experiences and learning about how Bici Bus works in Barcelona. Bike Bus organizers from all over the world participated and shared their vision on school mobility by bicycle.
The Barcelona bike bus, which started two years ago and currently moves approximately 700 people a week in 7 districts, has become a global reference and has inspired other educational communities to start their own bike buses.
The meeting was attended by around thirty bike-bus organizers from Portland (USA), Glasgow (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales), Worcester (England), Colònia, Frankfurt (Germany), Vic and Barcelona, and researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. The BACC and the coordinator of the global Kidical Mass also participated.
The event was held over two days and included a session of shared learning and joint strategy on Thursday 30th, and the participation of the attendees in the Sant Antoni line bike bus on Wednesday 31st at 8:30 am.
During the event, the group drafted the Barcelona Declaration on the Bicycle Bus. It has also taken advantage of the presence of the coordinator of the global Kidical Mass to announce the date of the next Kidical Mass in Barcelona which will be held on Sunday 7th of May as well as two new international BikeBus days; a virtual edition at the end of 2023 and a second edition of the BikeBus Summit in Frankfurt during 2024.
One of the agreements reached was the commitment to work on the expansion of the global bikebus network. The increase in the number of connected cities and organizations will allow to define and develop in a more pluralistic way the necessary actions to achieve in a short term more friendly and child-friendly cities.
The Barcelona Declaration
#BikeBus is joy and freedom. Community bike rides to school make kids happier, more awake and ready to learn. Our community becomes more connected and resilient. We demonstrate that our streets can be for children too. As a #BikeBus community, we demand that our political leaders prioritize urban space and resources for child friendly, healthy and safer streets.
Bike Bus Summit 2023
March 2023, Barcelona
