By Charles Pekow — Does going to school before sunrise discourage bicycling to class? Apparently not, according to a study from the University of Minnesota. Researchers examined how children traveled to elementary school in February—when Minnesota mornings are not only bitterly cold but also dark due to late sunrises and early start times.
A parent survey revealed that darkness wasn’t a major concern. Instead, factors that more often discouraged biking to school included distance, a lack of bike routes, and the need to cross busy roads.
In fact, when school started earlier, students were actually more likely to bike or walk to class, according to both survey responses and StreetLight data. The study does note, however, that it was conducted during a milder-than-normal winter.
Read School Start Times Impact on Students Walking or Biking to School: Safe Routes to School at https://cts-d10resmod-prd.oit.umn.edu/pdf/mndot-2025-21.pdf
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Charles Pekow is an award-winning Washington correspondent who has written about bicycling for years in publications such as the Washington Post, Bicycle Times, Dirt Rag, SPOKES, etc. as well as Cycling West/Cycling Utah. He also writes frequently on environmental issues and beer, among other topics. Weather permitting, you’ll find him most weekends and some summer evenings astride a bicycle in a park. He is also a charter member of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.