The details
The event is being organized by Bike Houston, a nonprofit that advocates for more accessible and safer cycling infrastructure in the city.
The group will set off from the esplanade at Norhill Boulevard between Euclid Street and Bayland Avenue, said Kristina Ronneberg, policy and advocacy director with Bike Houston. The ride will stay largely within Woodland Heights and will run for 2-3 miles, touring the neighborhood on streets that are safe for children to bike on.
The trip could also entail going along White Oak Bayou and spotlighting efforts to protect green space through the Save White Oak Bayou movement, Ronneberg said.
The ride will be preceded by hot chocolate at the meetup point at 5:15 p.m., while the ride itself will begin at 6 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring helmets and decorate their bikes with holiday lights.
Zooming in
The event was spurred in part by feedback Bike Houston officials received to host more events that children could participate in, Ronneberg said.
Along those lines, one of the main goals of the event is to build more of a culture in Houston where people feel safer biking with their families, said Doug Steinbach, a volunteer with Bike Houston who organized the ride and a member of the group's advocacy wing, The Gear Shifters.
"It’s the holidays, there’s fun lights everywhere, and Houston is vastly becoming a more bikeable city," he said.
Ronneberg said families with children from several areas schools are expected to take part, including Travis, Harvard and Field elementary schools as well as Hogg Middle School.
"Biking is so important for just being a kid and becoming more independent," Ronneberg said. "It’s one of those core pieces of childhood."
One more thing
Beyond this event, Ronneberg said Bike Houston will continue to advocate for Houston officials to build bike infrastructure in the city that is safe and useable to people of all ages. Learn more about the organization and how to support it here.
