Better Bike Share Partnership Awards $100K in Grants

These six projects will reach and engage traditionally underserved populations through shared micromobility.

The Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) awarded just under $100,000 in grants to six projects that will reach and engage traditionally underserved populations through shared micromobility. This is the eighth round of mini-grant funding the national bicycle advocacy organization PeopleForBikes will administer through its role as a BBSP partner.

“Since it has become increasingly costly to conduct the work that is critical to achieving equity in shared micromobility, we decided to raise this year’s grant awards,” said Tangier Barnes-Wright, senior partnership and program manager at PeopleForBikes and BBSP. “These six organizations identified gaps in who is accessing and using their shared micromobility systems and are committed to enacting change in a short period of time. We look forward to learning from them and sharing stories about how their work can be replicated elsewhere.”

The following projects were selected to receive funding: 

Guided Bike Commute Series | $20,000
A Better City Initiative, Boston, Massachusetts

A Better City Transportation Management Association will organize a series of guided bike commutes ending in the vicinity of large institutional employers in Boston’s Downtown, South End, and Dorchester neighborhoods. By providing free Bluebikes bike share passes and routing between stations, this initiative aims to reduce financial barriers to participation and highlight the availability of bike share for commuting purposes. The grant funds will be used to support professional ride guides, free Bluebikes passes and helmets, sign-up incentive raffle prizes, and breakfast for participants.

 

Increasing Access to Bike Share | $13,500
Bikeshare Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

In partnership with local community-based organizations, Bikeshare Hawaii will raise awareness about its Biki Access Program through strategic digital communications, content creation, in-person outreach, and hands-on workshops. In addition to helping Bikeshare Hawaii increase digital and in-person engagement, the funding will be used to improve the current application process and make it easier for residents to enroll in the program.

 

Increasing Access to Bike Share for Underrepresented Groups | $13,350
BikeLA, Los Angeles, California

BikeLA will partner with Metro Bike Share and Bicycle Transit Systems to increase access to bike share in Los Angeles County through four 90-minute, no-cost classes for underrepresented riders (specifically, women, seniors, Latinx folks, and students). These classes will be held in collaboration with four community-based organizations in the Los Angeles area and will invite those often left out of cycling to experience its joys. Attendees will receive bike safety education, a firsthand demonstration on how to use bike share, a meal from a local business, a helmet, a 30-day Metro Bike Share pass, and the opportunity to participate in a group ride. 

 

Dockless Vehicle Equity Initiatives | $21,500
Baltimore City Department of Transportation, Baltimore, Maryland

The grant money will fund aspects of Baltimore’s Dockless Vehicle Program equity initiatives, including support for discounted equity plans and educational activities to encourage participation from eligible residents. Baltimore City Department of Transportation will partner with the Baltimore Civic Fund and other local nonprofit organizations to effectively target transportation-insecure communities by hosting registration events, providing free ride passes, sponsoring bike lane clean-up activities, and distributing informational materials at libraries, community centers, and transit stations.

 

Golden Rollers: E-Bike Training Program for Older Adults | $13,029
Ghisallo Cycling Initiative, San Antonio, Texas

This program will provide e-bike-specific training, annual bike share memberships, guided rides, and safety equipment to seniors and older adults at no cost. Thirty-six participants will complete a three-session, six-hour program designed to increase ridership by building confidence and establishing social connections with other riders. The program, based at a senior center close to a BCycle bike share station, will use the all-electric system to safely explore trails and neighborhood streets on destination-based rides. 

 

Community Ambassadors Expanding Access to BIKETOWN | $18,500
The Street Trust, Portland, Oregon

The Street Trust will use grant funding to help improve and expand its BIKETOWN Ambassador Program. The program — a partnership between The Street Trust, the City of Portland, and Lyft/BIKETOWN bike share — encourages residents living with low incomes to sign up for a BIKETOWN for ALL membership, which provides unlimited 60-minute trips at no cost. The Street Trust will dedicate more staff time, develop new marketing material, and provide riders with more support for a series of bike share events during summer 2023.

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 The Better Bike Share Partnership is funded by The JPB Foundation as a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and PeopleForBikes to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. Learn more at BetterBikeShare.org.