LISTEN: Students in East Atlanta embraced the cool fall air during National Walk & Roll to School Week by joining parent-led groups biking to school. GPB’s Amanda Andrews has more from riders on the bike bus.

A kid places a sticker on a board that says "how did you? walk and roll to school day 2025"

Students were able to place stickers on a board to share how they got to school

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

In Atlanta, dozens of parents and their children are parking their cars and grabbing a bike helmet during National Walk & Roll to School Week.

At Burgess-Peterson Academy Elementary in East Atlanta, the bike rack was overflowing from all the students riding to school. They’re pedaling, taking predetermined routes in groups led by parents called the "bike bus."

Casey Wichman joined the bike bus when his son started kindergarten this year. He said the rides help him meet the people in his community.

“There's a lot of people biking,” Wichman said. “I think one of the things that's most exciting is just all the kind of conversations I have with my neighbors that I wouldn't have otherwise if I were in a car.”

The Atlanta Department of Transportation passed out water bottles and bike lights to riders as they arrived at school. Their efforts are part of the city’s Safe Routes to School program encouraging more students to walk or bike.

April Stammel and her daughter joined the bike bus in 2022. She said they haven’t driven her car to school at all this year.

“So many kids are doing it now," Stammel said. “It just means that it's safer and it's more fun and something the kids look forward to on Friday mornings, even when it's a little chilly.”

The popularity of the bike buses and groups walking to Burgess-Peterson led the school to partner with mobility organizations like ATLDOT and Go Georgia.

It also caught the attention of Atlanta City Council.

Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari represents East Atlanta and bought new bike racks for the school last year. They said the number of bikers and walkers coming to the school has resulted in several infrastructure upgrades.

“Parents have even gotten together and put down this bike ramp of sorts where they can actually wheel their bikes down the stairs to make it more accessible,” Bakhtiari said. “We're talking about ways to make this more ADA compliant as well for younger kids, parents in strollers, to make sure they can get down here as well.”

The bike bus is scheduled to take place every Friday through the end of the school year. Residents looking to fund routes or start their own can contact Atlanta Bike Bus.

Tags: transportation infrastructure  transportation  Atlanta  Atlanta Public Schools  Georgia  Bicycles  children