The Gregory bike bus has been meeting at Wallace Park every Friday morning since April. They first started with about seven riders, and they’ve recently gotten upwards of 30.
Kevina Casaletto is one of the parent organizers. She has a fifth and a sixth-grader at Gregory.
She said the principal supported the group’s efforts and shared the event via school communications.
“The first day, she made an all-call that anyone on the bike bus shouldn't be counted tardy, which was very nice, because we were all figuring out how to get all the bikes in there and everything. So it's been really exciting to see support from the staff and just the whole community, too,” she said.
Casaletto hopes that the more riders they get, the more local officials will pay attention to cyclist infrastructure around Wilmington.
“We've always had people riding [bikes], but it's not super safe feeling by yourself. And just sending the kids, there aren't bike lanes. They just put in curb cuts on like Castle Street, which is more accessible for pedestrians,” she said.
Casaletto’s son Lincoln enjoys the bike bus, especially his favorite part: the curb jumps.
Jack, a fourth-grade student whom Casaletto called the ‘bike bus mayor,’ said it’s really fun.
“I love biking, and it's good for the environment. It gets me ready for the school day with the exercise. Also, biking in a whole group is cool to see different types of bikes, tricks, and just all sorts of things,” he said.
Greg Casaletto, Kevina’s spouse, reminds the riders how to make it safely down Pender to Orange Street, where the school is located. It’s a little over a mile ride from Wallace Park. He said adults need to be present both in the front and back.
“So if you're in the back and you see a child falling behind, just follow up and make sure they make it to the school. Everyone regroups at the stop signs. We will cork the stop signs and stop traffic if it keeps coming. A few of us have flashlights, so we'll use them and ride as a ‘blob.’ Children stay to the right, and parents just buffer in the middle of the road. Everyone, good, all right, let's start the race,” he said.
As they prepare to take off, Kevina Casaletto shares their plans for the next school year.
“So there's like ‘fri-[ride] days, so [they] work really well for our families. Most bike buses do once a month or once a week. It can be hard to coordinate enough parents for daily rides. But that would be awesome if once my kids are in middle school, if they feel confident enough to go on their own, that would be the dream of having a big gang of kids to go together,” she said.
She also said she wants more stops to include more families throughout the neighborhood and those who don't live in Gregory's vicinity.
"So we have several families that travel, commute from Castle Hayne, and come and park here and then ride the bike bus," she said.
Jack, the mayor, said he wants it to be twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Casaletto said they’re looking to expand the program next year, but first, they plan on having a large community event this Friday, May 30, at 6:45 a.m. to bring attention to the bike bus. They’re having coffee, cocoa, and doughnuts to celebrate the families' commitment to riding with them and to salute the students for finishing out the school year.
