LEWES, DE - More than 40 young cyclists traded the traditional yellow school bus for bicycles Friday morning as part of a pilot program in Sussex County.
The inaugural Lewes Bike Bus brought students, teachers, and parents together for a group ride to Lewes Elementary School. Participants were required to wear helmets. Two routes were designated for the pilot, one departing from the Hawkseye community near Kings Highway and another from Pilottown.
"It's great because we've seen it on TV and, in the past, Trent has mentioned how fun it would be," Jennifer Matta, who joined her 4th-grade son Trent on the ride, said.
Matta says her family lives near the bike trail and appreciates the cycling-friendly atmosphere in Lewes.
"The most wonderful thing about the city of Lewes is just the trails and, you know, the people and everybody is very familiar with bikers,” she said.
The idea for the bike bus has been in discussion among members of the Lewes Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee since last spring. Brian Kellman owns a local bike shop and serves on the Committee.
"It's just a fun way to get to school,” Kellman said. “We had kids waiting, excited at the end of their driveway, at the bus stops with a big smile on their faces."
There are no additional rides scheduled at this time. Organizers say they hope the pilot program will lead to more opportunities for students to participate.
"With all the enthusiasm and with the weather continues to cooperate, I don't see why we can't do another one this year,” Kellman said. “The goal is, I think, for the committee to make this possibly a regular occurrence weekly, so we might be looking into that for the spring.”
Students also rode their bicycles home from school Friday afternoon.
The Lewes Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee plans to collect feedback from participating students and parents before determining when the next bike bus could take place.
