Last year, senior transportation planner Noel Mickelberry, who manages Metro’s Regional Safe Routes to School program, had a light bulb moment. After a colleague in a group chat shared that the Portland Bureau of Transportation had an employee bike bus, Noel thought to herself, why don’t we have something like that here at Metro?
So, with the support of a lot of other enthusiastic Metro cyclists, she started one.
“A bike bus,” Noel explains, “is a group of students – but in this case, adults – biking to school – but in this case, to work – together, along a designated route on a regular schedule. Bike buses have been around for decades, but they have become increasingly popular in recent years – and Metro’s Safe Routes to School program has helped jumpstart over 15 across the region. Last year we kicked off the first Metro bike bus with three events in June, July and August, and had 15-20 folks join us each month!”
This year, Noel’s at it again. But at the suggestion of her colleague, Marne Duke – also a senior transportation planner, who manages Metro’s Regional Travel Options commute program – the bike bus will be starting up in May to coincide with National Bike Month and Bike Month Challenge 2025.
Noel and Marne are hoping this year’s bike bus will be even bigger than last year’s, so they’ve added more opportunities for folks to participate. “This year, we’re excited to share six opportunities to join a bike bus to the Regional Center, held monthly from May to October,” Noel says, adding, “And we’ll be alternating start times so as many people as possible can join us!” The bike buses Noel is coordinating this year will all terminate at the Regional Center, but she’s happy to help groups at other Metro sites map out routes to their own workplaces.
You can find out more about this year’s bike bus at an upcoming event at the Regional Center on Tuesday, May 13 – see below for details. If you have questions about this year’s bike bus, reach out to Noel at [email protected].
You can find a map of this year’s bike bus routes, meeting locations and dates/times, here. Metro bike bus 2025 dates:
• Tuesday, May 13 – kickoff + coffee takeover! – arrive at Regional Center at 8:45 a.m.
• Tuesday, June 10 – arrive at Regional Center at 7:45 a.m.
• Tuesday, July 8 – arrive at Regional Center at 8:45 a.m.
• Tuesday, August 12 – arrive at Regional Center at 7:45 a.m.
• Tuesday, September 9 – arrive at Regional Center at 8:45 a.m.
• Tuesday, October 14 – arrive at Regional Center at 7:45 a.m.