Emergency Response Grantees 2020

When COVID-19 began to spread across America in February, the following months were comprised of radical measures and creative solutions to attempt to reduce the threat of this unprecedented situation. 

For some cities, that meant deeming bicycle shops and bike share operations essential; others, have thought it best to cease bike share in the short term. Similarly, many cities have even reduced public transit operations due to declining ridership. 

These safety measures are imperative to slow the spread of COVID-19, but they still pose an issue for many city residents and essential workers who need access to reliable transportation — and this is a problem that bike share can address. 

In a previous article, we highlighted the uptick in cycling in places like New York, China, and especially Philadelphia, where cycling has increased by more than 150% during the virus outbreak. Emergency bike lanes have also been installed in New York and London, for example. 

During this pandemic, bicycles have proven to be an equitable and resilient mobility option for cities to prioritize long term and not just through this crisis. 

For these reasons, the Better Bike Share Partnership moved quickly to lend a helping hand to organizations working to support their communities through COVID-19. The PeopleForBikes Foundation, as part of the Better Bike Share Partnership, made grants available to non-profit or city-owned shared mobility operators to support operating or program costs during the pandemic. 

Emergency Response Grant Recipients

Throughout National Bike Month, we’ll be sharing the community-oriented projects organized by the 13 recipients of this Emergency Response Grant:

• Bluebikes Essential Worker Monthly Membership Program
• • • Boston Bluebikes – Boston, MA
• Reddy to Help During the COVID-19 Crisis
• • • Reddy Bikeshare – Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY
• PikeRide COVID-19 response
• • • PikeRide – Colorado Springs, CO
• Des Moines BCycle Operations Relief
• • • Des Moines Bcycle – Des Moines, IA
• Keeping Detroit Moving During COVID-19
• • • MoGo Detroit Bikeshare – Detroit, MI
• COVID-19
• • • Fort Worth Bikesharing – Fort Worth, TX
• COVID-19 Relief Funding
• • • Houston Bcycle – Houston, TX
• Hawaii Island Bike Share
• • • Hawaii Island Bike Share – Kailua Kona, HI
• Let’s Ride It Out 2.0
• • • Explore Bike Share – Memphis, TN
• Heartland B-cycle Emergency Response
• • • Heartland B-cycle – Omaha, NE
• Supporting Essential Workers in Pittsburgh
• • • Healthy Ride – Pittsburgh, PA
• BIKETOWN
• • • BIKETOWN – Portland, OR
• Free Breeze Bike Share for Covid-19 Recovery
• • Breeze Bike Share – Santa Monica, CA 

Thank you to all of our wonderful applicants! 

We’re grateful that so many people want to uplift their communities with reliable access to bike share, and we can’t wait to share their stories with you. 

Please stay safe, practice social distancing at all times, and adhere to CDC guidelines when commuting. 

The Better Bike Share Partnership is a JPB Foundation-funded collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the PeopleForBikes Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or sign up for our weekly newsletter. Story tip? Write farrah@peopleforbikes.org