Bike bus rides into Wilmette

The concept of strength in numbers has reached youth cyclists in Wilmette.

Local volunteers in May began the town’s first official bike bus, a nationwide trend that encourages students to bike together to school, along with parent participation.

Leigh Marcus organized Wilmette’s version, which launched with a destination of Highcrest Middle School for four Wednesdays (May 13, May 20, May 27 and June 3) until the end of the school year.

“First, it gets more exposure for biking and more kids to bike to school safely, (including) crossing Green Bay Road,” said Marcus, whose daughter attends Highcrest, “but also it gets kids who ride in packs of two or five to now ride in a pack of 30 and I think there’s something about that, like more community.”

Marcus has been connected to cycling since his childhood in the suburbs of New York City. He said when he moved to Chicago 25 years ago that passion continued with a community ride called Critical Mass and then a monthly children-included version in Roscoe Village called Kidical Mass.

Once he moved to Wilmette, he looked to bring the idea with him.

“I see all these kids riding to school but it didn’t seem like there was any parental involvement,” Marcus said. “It seemed like an opportunity for there to be support from the community for something as amazing as kids riding their bikes to school.”

Marcus joined forces with fellow volunteer Beth Drucker and community groups Go Green Wilmette and Bike Walk Wilmette and things started to roll downhill.

Now a coalition, they went through the proper government channels to gain approvals and spread awareness. And they were off and riding.

The inaugural bike bus to Highcrest on May 13, Marcus said, began at Maple Park with about 10 riders. That total jumped when the group reached downtown Wilmette and picked up “20 to 30 kids” near Central Station Coffee & Tea, Marcus said.

The group also included three Wilmette police officers who assisted with the crossing of Green Bay Road.

More riders joined along the way.

“Once kids saw us riding, they joined,” Marcus said, adding that he’d like to see the movement grow with bike buses to other Wilmette schools, including elementary schools.

To learn more about Bike Bus Wilmette, visit the group’s Instagram page or email Marcus at leighmarcus@gmail.com.

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