Bike to School Day passes by

Wednesday, May 10th marked the 5th Annual National Bike to School Day and many Chester County students couldn’t celebrate.

Our trail network continues to improve, as seen with the recent Circuit Resolution adoption from the Chester County Commissioners.

But our on-road community bike accommodations are still stuck in the 1980’s when cars were the king of the road.

This year, almost 3,000 schools nationwide are celebrating including 17 in Pennsylvania.

Many schools in Chester County celebrate National Walk to School Day on the first Wednesday in October, but as of now, Bike to School Day is simply too hazardous.

Older peers tell me all the time:

“I used to ride my bike every day to get to school. Even in the rain and the snow, I just kept riding. I was free.”

So what happened to this die-hard, non-stop bicycle commuting culture?

As additional infrastructure was built for cars and busing became the priority, it became more difficult for children to walk or bike to school.

Walking and biking became a thing of the past; it’s nostalgia.

Fast forward to today, we are beginning to see a shift back to a walking and biking culture in our communities.

More people are advocating for multimodal connections because people want the access, increasing property values when there is a trail nearby.

Celebrations for Walk to School Day and Bike to Work Day are becoming communitywide celebrations.

Walkable towns like Malvern, Kennett Square, West Chester and Phoenixville are attracting people to their communities.

People want to limit their drive time and seek safe and accessible connections to their schools, workplaces and town centers.

Chester County is investing in multimodal infrastructure but it takes time.

For the past 30 years, infrastructure was centered on one mode of transit, the car, but today the consumer is demanding a multimodal approach.

We are working to rebuild or retrofit multi-modal facilities into our existing infrastructure, which is no easy task.

The County and municipalities, like Phoenixville and Kennett Township, are all updating their Comprehensive Plans and creating multimodal plans to make room for a new and better infrastructure.

While Chester County Commissioners prioritize and the Planning Commission and our municipalities plan for the future of our mobility, we as citizens must continue to advocate for better mobility options, support multi-modal planning and encourage our municipalities to think past the car. With your help, our kids will one day be able to celebrate Bike to School Day and grandpa’s stories of walking and biking to school won’t just be a thing of the past. Amanda Lozinak Chair, Bike Chester County