Montclair Students Bike to School

Montclair students biked, walked and even pogo-sticked their way to school Friday for Bike to School Day.

Bike to School Day, part of Montclair Public Schools’ Safe Routes to School program, encourages children to skip a car ride and get exercise and fresh air instead.

“Not only do they arrive at school better prepared to learn, but the program reduces the number of cars on the streets, making it safer for everyone,” Alex Kent, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, said in a release.

Here are some of what local schools did for Bike to School Day:

• Students eligible for bussing were encouraged to take the bus rather than a car.
• Mount Hebron Middle School gym teachers went the extra mile, running a fitness challenge and holding a raffle for students who walked or biked. Students who participated were also rewarded with bike reflectors, granola bars, fruit and other goodies. 
• At Hillside Elementary School, one student reportedly walked two miles to school, while another hopped a half mile on a pogo stick. 
• Watchung Elementary School designated five meet-up locations for students and parents to gather, and then bike or walk to school with a teacher leading them. They arrived to find staff members cheering them on and offering snacks and water. 

The next Safe Routes to School Program will be a bike registration event hosted by the Montclair Police Department on Wednesday and Thurdsay, May 22 and 23, from 2 to 6 p.m. The event will take place at Chestnut and Midland avenues outside Montclair High School. Free bike helmets will be distributed to those who register. 

Bike to School Day was originally scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, but was rescheduled due to inclement weather. A Walk to School Day takes place the first Wednesday in October.