Robert Ping, the director of the BTA’s Safe Routes to School program has been busy with his “walk and bike school bus” concept.

He recently met with the president of the Oregon Parent Teachers Association (PTA), Anita Olsen. She thought the idea (and Robert) was “interesting”. Here’s an excerpt from comments she made on the PTA blog:

“I met the most interesting man yesterday and he’s affiliated with a most interesting group….Learning about the (Safe Routes to School) program would have been enough. But Robert agreed to demonstrate the idea of a walking/biking school bus for Oregon PTA members!”

Robert will be at the PTA’s annual convention on Friday, April 13, and will invite PTA members and school kids from the Salem area to participate in a demonstration of the program. The walking school bus will go from the Salem Conference Center to the steps of the capitol so participants can, as Olsen puts it, “see first-hand the ease in getting out of cars and onto sidewalks!”

Robert will also demonstrate a walk and bike school bus at the Celebrate Portland Schools event coming up on February 3rd at the Portland Expo Center.