Teacher Sets Up ‘Bike Bus’ to Help Students Safely Ride Bikes to School: ‘Be the Joy You Want to See in the World’
In one video, the students happily pedal while bobbing their heads to Usher’s “Yeah!”
Getty
A stock image of kids riding bikesAn Oregon physical education teacher’s TikTok videos about his “bike bus” — an organized way for students to safely ride their bikes to school together — continue to spark joy and attract millions of likes.
In one of Sam Balto’s latest bike bus videos, TikTok users can hear “Coach Balto” belting singer Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” song as he leads students to their elementary school in Portland.
The concept replaces the school bus for the kids, with adults including Balto and students’ parents guiding the young bikers to their destination.
“I started a bike bus at my school on Earth Day 2022,” Balto, 38, told PEOPLE. “It was a way to get my students active, reduce car trips of students being driven to the school and have fun on bikes.”
Balto’s videos highlight how fun the bike bus can be for kids and parents.
“Be the #joy you want to see in the world,” he captioned a video in which students are pedaling while bobbing their heads to Usher’s “Yeah!”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Getty
A stock image of a kid riding a bikeRelated: The Cutest Celebrity School Photos
His @coachbalto account on TikTok has garnered more than 7 million likes and 211,000 followers thanks to his bike bus videos.
“Love how many people are starting bike buses in their communities after seeing videos,” Balto captioned a video of Taylor Swift performing the lyrics, “Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things.”
As the account has grown, so has the number of bike bus participants.
“The numbers vary between 50 to 150 students with tons of parents also joining,” he told PEOPLE. “The more people who bike together the safer it becomes, there is a wonderful safety in numbers.”
Balto added that his son, who started kindergarten this school year, recently began riding in a bike bus: “It is such a great joy to see him riding with his classmates and community,” he said.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
