Bike to School Day Photos From Across the U.S.

Wednesday was National Bike to School Day, and tens of thousands of American children (hopefully more) are learning how rewarding and fun it can be to get to school on two wheels.

Walking and biking to school accounted for 50 percent of all school trips in 1969, compared to 13 percent today. Now it's not even permitted in some places -- parents in Collingswood, New Jersey, for instance, are fighting school administrators who banned elementary school students from biking to school.

The fact that we need a special event to encourage something that used to be so common speaks to how much work is left to be done to improve conditions for cycling. For sheer inspiration, it's tough to beat Bike to School Day and the sight of kids biking the streets.

Below are some photos we culled from the #BikeToSchoolDay hashtag, showing young people on two wheels heading to school in neighborhoods around the country.

Hoboken, New Jersey:

Many schools organized "bike trains" with parent or police supervision. Here's an example from Corte Madera, California:

Washington, D.C.:

Savannah, Georgia:

It's great to see a kid taking advantage of bike infrastructure in Sacramento, California:

According to Safe Routes to School, more than 2,100 schools in 47 states have registered Bike to School Day events. As you can see below, a little encouragement can go a long way.

Kudos to everyone who helped promote this event at schools today. If you have pictures of your local event we overlooked, please share them in the comments.