World Day of Remembrance 2023

Posted on November 15, 2023November 15, 2023 by staff

Families for Safe Streets of Oregon and SW Washington, in partnership with The Street Trust, invites you to join us for the observance of World Day of Remembrance 2023 on November 19. This international event honors the memory of those who have lost their lives in road traffic crashes and advocates for safer streets.

Event Details:
11:00 am Gathering begins outside The Street Trust offices at 1259 Lloyd Center

11:30 Processional Walk led by Oregon Walks departs Lloyd Center for Memorial Coliseum

12:00 Program with Invited Speakers starts at Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Charlene McGee, Director Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Multnomah County Health Department
Wendy Serrano, Equity and Inclusion Manager, City of Portland Bureau of Transportation

The Morrison Bridge will be lit up yellow all day in observance and participants will wear yellow, as well. There will be an installation under the portico of Memorial Coliseum of black “body bags” representing the lives lost in traffic on Portland streets to date in 2023. (Actually sleeping bags, they will be donated to people in need following the event.)

Objectives of the Event:

Remember all individuals killed and injured in traffic crashes this year
Advocate for improved support for road traffic victims and their families
Raise awareness about the legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries
Promote evidence-based actions to prevent future road traffic incidents

The Challenge in Oregon:
Between 2010 and 2022, annual traffic fatalities in Oregon increased from 351 to 606. The rate per 100,000 residents surged from nine to 14. This alarming rise highlights a public health epidemic, emphasizing the urgent need for safer and complete public streets.

Policy Makers Pledge:
Transportation leaders and decision-makers will be challenged to commit to meaningful action to reverse this epidemic, ensuring safer streets for all. We are asking leaders to sign this pledge acknowledging the harms and inequities of this crisis and committing to actions that can save lives. Signers are encouraged to attend the event and the full list of signers and their comments will be shared with attendees.

Transportation Options:
Veterans Memorial Coliseum is easily accessible by MAX (red, green, blue lines to Rose Quarter Transit Center or yellow line to Interstate/Rose Quarter) and *TriMet* bus lines (*4, 8, 35, 44, 77 to Rose Quarter Transit Center*).

Join Us:
We encourage all concerned residents, road safety stakeholders, elected leaders, and members of the media to participate in this crucial event. Help us remember those we’ve lost, advocate for safer streets, and support initiatives that can save lives.

Please visit the event page to RSVP.

Ride2Own: A Pioneering Step Towards eBike Accessibility in Oregon

Posted on November 14, 2023November 15, 2023 by staff

Oregon’s eBike enthusiasts were abuzz this fall with the electrifying news of the Ride2Own launch in Portland’s Portsmouth neighborhood. This groundbreaking initiative, a brainchild of The Street Trust in collaboration with We All Rise,Oregon DEQ, and PGE is set to revolutionize eBike accessibility in Oregon, particularly for historically excluded communities.

The Ride2Own program is not merely about providing eBikes. It’s a comprehensive approach that encompasses education, gear, and community-building. The overarching goal? To create transformative experiences through e-mobility and initiate a ripple effect that expands sustainable transportation options across the region.

The program’s first pilot kicked off on October 1st, 2023, with a year-long pilot in the Portsmouth neighborhood of Portland, reported by KPTV. The program is providing the first cohort of 15 electric bicycles to community members with low-incomes who would otherwise lack access, education, or support for e-mobility. Participants will track their experiences over twelve months and, upon successful completion, keep their bikes for free.

This is the first of four pilots Ride2Own will be conducting across the Portland metro region. The other neighborhoods are Portland’s Parkrose, Milwaukie, and Hillsboro. A total of approximately 90 eBikes will be distributed to qualifying community members across the four pilot areas.

“I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of making bike commuting even more accessible to members of communities of color like myself,” said one program participant in their application.

It’s hard to overstate the significance of this launch. At a time when Oregon’s transportation sector contributes a staggering 40% of the state’s GHG pollution, initiatives like Ride2Own are not just welcome; they’re imperative. Ride2Own’s overarching goal is to create positive, transformative experiences through eBiking and initiate a ripple effect that expands sustainable transportation options for residents and reduces the amount that people need to drive (VMT, vehicle miles traveled) across the region.

“Portland General Electric is excited to award funds from DEQ’s Oregon Clean Fuels Program to support our partners in expanding cleaner transportation systems across the state,” said Elyssia Lawrence, senior manager, Product Manager and head of PGE’s Transportation Electrification team. “Transportation electrification plays an essential role in accelerating the clean energy transition. It is going to take all of us working together to achieve a cleaner and more equitable future for all Oregonians.”

Ride2Own stands as a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets determination.
In a world where the status quo often reigns supreme, Ride2Own is a reminder that with the right vision and commitment, we can build transportation systems that serve everyone equitably. As we celebrate this launch, let’s also recommit to a future where every Oregonian, regardless of background or zip code, has access to safe, sustainable, and inclusive transportation options.

Special thanks to The Street Trust Board Member Paul Buchanan, for helping bring the Portsmouth Neighborhood Pilot from idea to reality and to PGE Drive Change Fund, which is funded via the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Fuels Program. Funded by the sale of Oregon CFP credits, which PGE aggregates on behalf of residential customers who charge their electric vehicles at home, the fund supports projects aimed at expanding electric mobility options and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The DCF prioritizes projects focused on serving vulnerable populations and underserved communities.

Recap of the 2023 Alice Awards

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Kayla Kennett

On Saturday, October 14th, the Oregon Zoo became a habitat for one of our favorite species—transportation visionaries. The 2023 Alice Awards brought together nearly 200 people who share a common commitment to help create a safer, more accessible, and more sustainable transportation system.

Together, we enjoyed an evening filled with inspiration, community, and generosity, raising an astounding $70,267 through sponsorships and individual donations to further our mission.

Highlights

The program kicked off with a special video message from Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a national champion for bike and pedestrian issues. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of community-based transportation advocacy and extended his sincere thanks to our award recipients for their dedication to improving Oregon’s transportation system.

Congratulations again to our 2023 Alice Awards winners and finalists. Learn more about them here.

Then, Poison Waters brought her signature style and charisma to the stage as our emcee. She helped pay a heartfelt tribute to her close friend, Darcelle XV, who was posthumously recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

We were also delighted to have auctioneer Amanda Valley, who led an exciting and successful live appeal, generating dozens of individual donations.

The evening culminated with the long-awaited results of the Alice Awards Raffle. One participant walked away with a brand new Tern E-Cargo bike, complete with a front rack and rear bags, courtesy of Clever Cycles. Another lucky winner received a car rear rack for two bikes, thanks to ReRack Portland. Finally, a weekend getaway to the Society Hotel was awarded to our Last Hero donor.

Thank you to our local business community for making these prizes possible.

Thank You!

The resounding success of the 2023 Alice Awards would not have been possible without the dedication and support of numerous individuals and organizations. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who attended, our generous sponsors, and the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

Your contributions will reach far beyond this event’s success. As we look to the year ahead, we’re filled with hope, knowing that the momentum generated by your investments of time, talent, and resources will inspire others to join the movement, make donations, and further our cause. Together, we can continue building a transportation system that’s safe, accessible, and sustainable for all.

Thank you to our 2023 Alice Awards Sponsors

Announcing the 2023 Alice Awards Winners

Posted on October 11, 2023October 23, 2023 by Kayla Kennett

The Alice Awards honors individuals and organizations shaping Oregon’s transportation landscape, leading with a commitment to The Street Trust’s mission to create a complete, safe, low-carbon, and multimodal transportation system for enhanced accessibility and equity.

The Street Trust is proud to announce the following 2023 award recipients:

The 2023 Alice Award recipient is The City of Tigard. This award acknowledges their outstanding work in building a multimodal transportation system that promotes a healthy and prosperous community. Their contributions include implementing an innovative e-bike sharing program, reducing speed limits, creating safe routes to school, and advocating for improvements on “orphan highways,” notably Hall Boulevard. The City of Tigard’s dedication to safety, accessibility, and sustainability sets an inspiring example for the region.

Walter “Darcelle XV” Cole is the 2023 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. His dedication to better bicycling and safer streets in Portland spanned decades, starting with his involvement in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in 1992. His enduring advocacy for improved bicycling infrastructure and safer streets in Portland continued steadfastly. Although Darcelle XV is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through the positive impact he had on the city and the cycling community.

Metro Councilor Juan Carlos González is the 2023 recipient of the Elizabeth Jennings Graham Award. He has shown exceptional dedication to championing transportation justice and equity, particularly through his roles on the Metro Council and Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT). His work truly embodies the spirit of the award, making a lasting impact on transportation justice in the region and creating a more equitable and accessible transportation system for all.

Shawne Martinez is the recipient of the 2023 Safe Streets for All Award for his unwavering dedication to promoting safer streets and sustainable modes of transportation, driven by his commitment as a parent to provide a healthier lifestyle for his daughter and combat climate change. His innovative approach, including documenting his transition from a diesel pickup to eco-friendly transportation, and advocating for responsible driving, sets a remarkable example and significantly contributes to improving street safety for all.

Recipients Reflects on Their Motivations

Dave Roth, Principal Transportation Planner at City of Tigard, shared his vision for Tigard’s mobility future:

“Our community is working together to ensure that everyone can participate, prosper, and thrive, regardless of their identity, experience, age, ability, or preferred mode of travel. We’re building a vibrant, equitable, and healthy city for generations to come, with safe, sustainable, and accessible mobility options at the core of our decisions.”

Poison Waters, a close friend of Walter “Darcelle XV” Cole, reflects on the legacy of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient:

“Darcelle taught me to be a person, not just a personality. Locally, he was part of numerous nonprofits, worked with the homeless long before it became a crisis, and always supported the houseless in our community. He and Roxy spent nearly five decades building their business, raising funds for charities, caring for friends affected by HIV/AIDS, and advocating for LGBTQ rights.”

Metro Councilor Juan Carlos González shares his commitment to creating an equitable and accessible transportation system:

“As the youngest and first elected Latino Metro Councilor, my commitment is unwavering in ensuring that underrepresented communities have a seat at the decision-making table. I’ve dedicated myself to advocating for safe, equitable, and accessible transportation systems, especially in neglected areas like TV Highway. Equity, accessibility, and safety are at the forefront of my vision for our community.”

Shawne Martinez, the 2023 Safe Streets for All Award recipient, reveals the motivation behind his advocacy for safer streets and sustainable transportation:

“Becoming a parent brought tremendous positive change to my life! I realized that driving a big stinky pickup truck was harmful to my daughter and everyone else around us. I made transportation choices to promote a healthy lifestyle. I want to be able to tell my daughter that I did everything I could to end car dependency and fight climate change.”

In addition to our winners, we’d like to recognize the following finalists who were nominated for an award this year!

The Street Trust welcomes the New Year in Clackamas County

Posted on January 4, 2023March 13, 2023 by Madi Carlson

The Street Trust's 2023 New Year's Day Ride poses in front of the Welcome to Milwaukie mural by Jeremy Okai Davis featuring Ah Bing alongside Dorothy and Hurtis Hadley.

For over 50 years, Portland area residents have welcomed the new year with a bike ride. The ride serves multiple purposes: to joyfully welcome in the new year, celebrate improvements to our streets, and provide an opportunity to experience new parts of the region with friends old and new. This year, we headed to Clackamas County to explore Milwaukie’s SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) program innovations and investments.

Outgoing Milwaukie Mayor Mark Gamba addresses the crowd of 80 in front of a MAX train in Milwaukie. (Photo by Julian Dunn)

One of our favorite things about riding in a group on New Year’s Day is that streets are generally quieter, allowing us to take routes that at busier times are unfriendly (or highly unpleasant) for less experienced riders. This year, that meant we could comfortably check out both completed and not-yet-implemented SAFE project streets.

Our special guest was outgoing Milwaukie Mayor Mark Gamba and incoming State Representative (D- HD 41), who led on many of these investments. He addressed our assembly of 80 New Year’s Day riders before venturing out with us on our five-mile, family-friendly ride.

What a great turnout we had! Our events in central Portland historically have attracted more participants than in more suburban parts of the region, so the fact that this year’s Milwaukie ride saw a larger crowd than last year’s in downtown Portland is something to celebrate! This is The Street Trust’s mission in action–centering the people, voices, and needs of communities too often left out of transportation decision-making.

The 2023 New Year’s Day Ride was a first for The Street Trust’s Education and Engagement Assistant Citlaly Ramirez-Sierra, a resident of Clackamas County, who shared, “I thoroughly enjoyed the event. It was great to see so many community members show up and ride together. Growing up in the Milwaukie area, I didn’t see many outdoor community-oriented events; it was heartwarming to see Milwaukie shine the way it did in this event.”

The Route
We got a lot of positive feedback about the route so here’s a map if you’d like to explore it on your own, with a description of what you’ll see below:

We began our ride at the end of the MAX Orange Line to provide easy access to those arriving multimodally and started out along the Trolley Trail, which predates SAFE and is a regional gem.
We left the Trolley Trail to wind our way along the Kronberg Park Multi-Use Trail (SAFE phase 2020) and traversed downtown Milwaukie on quiet streets to reach…
Washington Street (SAFE phase 2024) where we climbed uphill alongside what will soon be improved sidewalk and stormwater management.
We took advantage of the reduced holiday car traffic to utilize the traffic lights into and out of the Safeway parking lot and easily make our way to the very-recently-completed 43rd Avenue Improvements (SAFE phase 2022). In keeping our ride to a family-friendly/all-ages-and-abilities length and steepness we didn’t pedal all the way to Linwood Avenue (SAFE phase 2021), our favorite new shared pedestrian/bike path, but 43rd Avenue’s shared path is similarly spectactacular and is also the start of a safe and connected network.
We finished up along a portion of the future Monroe Street Greenway (SAFE phase 2022 & some segments TBD).
Our ride ended at the Milwaukie Station Food Cart Pod, conveniently sited next to the penultimate Orange Line MAX station for those leaving multimodally.

The route proved fun and accessible for all manner of bikes including recumbent trikes, young kids on their own bikes, families on cargo bikes, and EUCs (electric unicycles).

But that’s not all! We’ve noticed that as people are getting back into the habit of gathering in public, connecting as a community is what we’re most aching for. So, we book-ended the ride with hot drinks at the start, and a cookie exchange at the end. Over cookies (and other less sugary snacks) we collected “Transportation hopes and dreams for 2023” on index cards from the group, and had a random drawing for four The Street Trust knit caps.

Happy 2023 from The Street Trust! We hope you’ll walk and roll through Milwaukie this year and see us at a future event. Please sign up for our newsletter to get updates on events, info on advocacy efforts, and to learn more about the impact we’re having in our community; sign up to volunteer to help assist events like this and others, and donate to The Street Trust to support multimodal transportation options that prioritize safety, accessibility, equity, and climate justice.

When Protesting For Bike Safety Is Scary (And Worth It)

Posted on October 17, 2022 by staff

In my thirteen years living in Oregon, the protest on Powell Blvd last week was the first I’ve ever attended.

Assembling peacefully in the street demanding government accountability on traffic safety was my first exercise of my First Amendment right to assemble as a U.S. Citizen. I’m originally from Nepal and was proud to be naturalized this past year. At this protest, I witnessed firsthand the power of the community coming together to demand something like safer streets from our officials.

Not only was it my first time at a protest, it was my first time being a ‘Human Bike Box,’ meaning participants stood together with our bodies in front of traffic in the intersection representing where safety infrastructure used to be. Each time the light would turn red, I’d step into traffic to form the Human Bike Box; each time, so many feelings welled up within me. I felt a sense of power, to be able to stand arm in arm with other community members, I felt a sense of strength in the statement we all were making. I felt brave and a little bit scared to be standing in front of an oncoming car, especially since I’d brought with me my mother, who is visiting the U.S. from Nepal. Most of all, I felt connected to diverse people from parts of society who use the street in different ways – people who walk, people who ride bikes, people who ride transit and people who drive. There were young people and elders, families, and people with disabilities.

Standing in traffic changes your perspective. Even though as Strategic Partnerships Manager for The Street Trust it’s my job to connect with a wide range of people around our mission, it was a new experience to talk with people sitting in stopped cars right in the middle of street – answering questions, sharing information, and for the majority of people, sharing sadness around Chef Pliner’s death and wanting safer intersection for everyone whether they’re walking, rolling, or motoring through it. Many people in cars wanted to know how they could help and how the demands we were making would be put into effect and when. It really put our current strategy in context, and drove home why it’s important to include people who drive cars in the movement for safer streets and a better transportation system.

I live in Washington County but decided to take my mother to the protest because we wanted to gather in solidarity to honor Sarah Pliner, who was killed the previous week in the intersection where we were protesting. My mother shared with me how when they protest in Nepal, the tactics and demands differed a lot from what we were doing at our protest. But at the end of the day, the goal was the same – accountability from the government and justice for the people.

Participating in the protest in the streets was an empowering, and satisfying experience for me, but it was also scary. Scary because there were motorists who didn’t like us being there in the streets. Scary big trucks passing so close to our feet while we stood on the sidelines. And scary because of the aggressive drivers intentionally racing through at high speeds and loudly revving vehicles to make some sort of misguided point.

At the end of the day, the protest on Powell was amazing to see because not only did nearly 200 people come together in silence, with signs and solidarity, to convey the message that enough is enough: we demand safer streets for people now.

The Street Trust Brings SRTS To Eastern Oregon

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Henry Latourette Miller

Over the Summer, the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes To School program unveiled the pilot of the new Jump Start Train-the-Trainer program. This program helps school districts, staff, and other safe routes advocates learn the skills to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety to students across Oregon through onsite training.

Street Trust staff lead the pedestrian safety part of this program. In August, these staff members visited Baker City along with other members of the ODOT SRTS team and worked with advocates to help them prepare for bicycle and pedestrian safety lessons this Fall. Recently, Baker County received funds from a grant to purchase a fleet of bicycles for schools to encourage safe biking practices.

The team provided the participants lessons in bicycle and pedestrian safety, along with resources so they can easily implement the lessons in their own programming.

“The hands-on portion of the training gave a very informative example of what we will have to do”, said Jessie Wilson, SRTS Coordinator in La Grande, of her time at the training. “I really appreciated this experience”.

Thank you to the great team in Baker City for inviting us to do this training! We are excited to continue to bring Jump Start to more communities throughout the state.

Interested in bringing the pilot Jump Start training to your school district? Send in your interest to our form to be considered for the pilot!

Bring Jump Start To Your School District!

TST Leads on Combining Bike and Bus Trips

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Madi Carlson

A teenager poses next to his bike on a bus rack

Combining bike and bus trips opens up a world of possibilities, making it possible to access places far away, exhaustingly hilly, and otherwise hard to reach.

This is why The Street Trust loves helping people learn and practice this important skill.

On Monday we took a group to visit the PSU Transportation Center demonstration rack. In addition to the usual discussion of rack specs, gear, and security, we took a deep dive into bike lifting–which is a great first step anyone with a bike can practice at home beforehand. There are a variety of spots to place each hand on your bike to comfortably lift it a couple feet straight off the ground and then move forward onto the rack. The weight of your bike and how that weight is distributed will influence what works best for you. You’ll probably put one hand somewhere below your saddle and one on or near your handlebars.

A woman holds a silver ebike aloft in front of her torso by the chainstay and downtube

Holding the chainstay and downtube

A teenager lifts a silver bike up onto a bus rack by holding its seatpost and headset

Holding the seatpost and headset

New to us this session was someone hefting their bike by the chainstay! (The chainstay is the short tube parallel to the ground between pedals and rear wheel.) The chainstay on the far side of the bike, no less! Grasping that and the top of the downtube (the lower main tube between handlebars and pedals) was this person’s preferred method of lifting a very light bike.

Requirements

Not every bike fits on the rack. The below requirements from TriMet are spot on, as we’ve learned from explorations in pushing the boundaries during practice sessions:

Wheel sizes 20-29 inches
Wheelbase up to 44 inches (this is the distance from the *center* of your front wheel to rear wheel, not end-to-end of your wheel edges)
Tires up to 2.35 inches wide
55 pounds and lighter

Tutorials

There are some terrific resources you can watch before setting hand to top tube…or stem, down tube, chain stay, headset, etc…

TriMet’s photo tutorial: How to Load Your Bike on the Bus
PBOT’s video: How to put your bike on a TriMet bus rack
If music videos are more your thing, rock out to I Put My Bike On The Bus from Vancouver, Canada–but note that our hooks are easier than those ones!

Want to try?

The PSU Transportation Center is located at 1812 SW 6th Ave, next door to the PSU Bike Hub. The demonstration rack is indoors and masks are encouraged. Summer hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and once classes begin on September 26th hours will change to Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It’s convenient to arrive by MAX: catch the green or yellow line to PSU Urban Center/SW 6th & Montgomery.

What about FX?

FX2-Division is TriMet’s new high-capacity bus service along Division Street in Southeast Portland, starting September 18th. FX bendy buses have interior floor racks and TriMet has produced a video tutorial: How to load your bike on an FX bus.

Practice with us!

We’ll visit the PSU demo rack again soon, and we’re in the process of coordinating visits to Portland’s other demo rack at Community Cycling Center. These sessions and all our other events can be found on our event calendar. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll let you know via email.

What TST Learned at The Last Sunday Parkways of 2022

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Madi Carlson

A Sunday Parkways attendee on roller skates stops by The Street Trust corner

With August coming to a close, we say goodbye to another epic Sunday Parkways season after a fun finish with East Portland Sunday Parkways. We rocked the day away at an intersection near Gateway Discovery Park with DJ Doc Rock and, thanks to the out-and-back route, were able to interact with tons of event participants–some twice!

Our volunteers polled hundreds of walkers and rollers to find out how they arrived at the event and the results were enlightening.

Bikes for the win!

Feedback from Sunday Parkways attendees — ‘What would make it easier for you to drive less?’ feedback from Sunday Parkways attendees

A solid 33% of the participants we polled arrived by bike or ebike. A small portion of these came multimodally– by combining their ride to East Portland with MAX, bus, or car- but for the most part people used a single mode of transportation.

A lot of folks drove to Sunday Parkways, but 24% of the people we polled were part of a carpool rather than driving alone.

Anecdotally, a great many of the people we spoke to lived very close to the route and walked or biked over. It’s wonderful when open streets events pull crowds from both near and far.

As The Street Trust looks to reevaluate and evolve some of our programs to adapt to a post-pandemic world, we were eager to ask everyone one question: What would make it easier for you to drive less?

“More car-free streets” is always a popular answer to this question during an open streets event, as well as one of the next best things in many respondents’ opinions: “Protected bike lanes.” With ebikes gaining in popularity, it was nice to see a lot of ebike-related responses, like:

Ebike incentives
Plugins for ebikes
Cheaper ebikes

In transit-related answers a few we got were:

A third slot on bus bike racks like in Seattle and Vancouver
Transit to nature
Willamette ferry

For the first time ever we had a clear fan favorite of an answer: moving sidewalks. While this inspired a lot of people to consider more fanciful responses, the 10-year old who made the suggestion had recently visited Hong Kong’s Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system and experienced a moving sidewalk firsthand.

A group of people on bikes visit TST's booth at Sunday Parkways

How do you get around? And what would make it easier and/or more likely for you to go places more often without driving? Help shape The Street Trust of the future by taking our survey!

Take Our Survey!

Adaptive Group Ride was a Hit!

Posted on August 18, 2022August 24, 2022 by staff

Group ride attendees smiling for photo on adaptive cycles and standing in background.

Harry Styles fans, adaptive bike riders, and Pedalpalooza regulars alike gathered on Saturday morning for The Street Trust and Adaptive BIKETOWN’s accessible group ride. It was my first time participating in and leading a group bike ride, along with Jenna Phillips (aka @jennabikes), my co-lead.

Since getting involved in the world of transportation justice, I’ve seen my friends post every year about fun group rides, especially during Pedalpalooza. It wasn’t until I tried out an adaptive cycle at Adaptive BIKETOWN that I could see myself being able to participate in a group ride.

We set the gathering time as 10am and left the departure time up to when the group was ready. Getting fitted to an adaptive bike can take a few tries and adjustments, and it was important to us to make sure everyone’s needs were met. Some rode their own bikes, some rode traditional BIKETOWN e-bikes, one person rolled along in their electric wheelchair, and myself and a handful of others rode adaptive bikes.

To make the event as accessible as possible, the 2.5 mile route started and ended at Adaptive BIKETOWN. We rode along the Eastbank Esplanade, briefly rode in the streets that connected us over to the Springwater Trail, and rode until a grassy opening where we pulled off onto the gravel trail for a water break before connecting back onto the paved trail and heading back.

Along the way we listened to the tunes of Harry Styles as they played out of an impressive, portable sound system pulled via bike trailer. Some riders dressed up in Harry Styles inspired outfits or donned feather boas and heart shaped sunglasses. While rides don’t require a theme, adding one gave myself and other disabled attendees, who can’t usually participate in group rides, the full experience.

If you’ve come across a BIKETOWN booth recently, you’ve likely seen their backdrop that says: YES, YOU ARE A BIKE PERSON. Riding together alongside other disabled people as we led the group truly allowed me to feel that sentiment for the first time. Seeing oneself represented and able to participate in the cycling community makes a world of difference in imagining how we can move through the world together.

Support TST’s Work To Make Biking Inclusive!