Prescribe a Bike PDX – Pilot Report

In 2021, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) launched the “Prescribe a Bike PDX” pilot program to address major public health concerns— such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes—by promoting cycling. The program provided a free one-year membership to BIKETOWN, Portland’s fully electric bike-share system, which offers e-bikes for urban transportation through the BIKETOWN or Lyft app. This initiative was a collaboration between PBOT and the Multnomah County Health Department’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, supported by a three-year Living Lab grant from People forBikes/Better Bike Share Partnership.