Jan--
Well, I don't feel like much of an authority on the matter...My guess would be:
Community bike programs focus on empowering and educating communities using bicycles and bicycle parts. Bike recycling and earn-a-bike opportunities are common to such programs, and the development of a community of riders interested in furthering bike education and self-reliant community development are often the products of a community bike program's efforts.
I think I've been safely vague here--But in terms of BNB, I've never read of anyone anywhere recycling bikes for community members in an organized, programmatic way before the BNB folk started in 1984. Was anyone recycling bikes and working with youth to teach bike maintenance in a programmatic way before BNB?
Anthony Memphis, TN
Please define
community bike program
Jan
Anthony Siracusa wrote:
Hey All--
Was Bikes not Bombs the first community bike program established in the US?
Thanks, Anthony Siracusa Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop Memphis, TN
here's our path:
'96: free cycles forms to advance community cycling 2000: missoula institute for sustainable transportation forms to address safe and accessible cycling, clean air, equity, street design, etc.
2003: free cycles brought under mist umbrella
2007: works well; free cycles does the 'non-political' restore/teach bike stuff, mist does the 'in the trenches research, design and advocacy' work.
in essence, we have many overlapping circles of people doing related yet distinct work.
i think there is no magic formula, only organically growing circles of people and organization(s)
i also think we have reached a collective awareness of sustainability/bicycle issues that the same people working on 'non-political' community bike programs (these programs are actually very political and effective in a quiet way), can be very direct about the need for bicycle friendly infrastructures.
mist was able to help get a road diet in place last year, which made many people angry (and many people very happy). the 4-lane to 3-lane conversion is working great, for bikes, walkers, and even motor vehicles (slow and smooth car flow).
a new group just formed here, with different circles of people: the bike walk alliance for missoula.
here is why mist and free cycles are under one umbrella: the experiences, excitement, trials and errors of the community bike shop help inform mist as to what people desire and practice with regards to cycling; conversely, the research, design and collaboration of a larger sustainable transportation movement helps guide what projects to undertake with the mountains of bicycles and people energy that flow into the shop every day.
-bob giordano
-- Free Cycles Missoula (program of... Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation www.strans.org, mist@strans.org, 406.880.6834
Erik Ryberg said:
I am interested in this discussion too. Our group, BICAS, does not
explicitly do advocacy (though it depends what you mean by that -- we have robust programs for "disadvantaged youth" and so forth and maybe the folks doing that work would consider it advocacy) but I think we come pretty close, and of course individually we are all
advocacy-minded.
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