Matching bicycles with essential workers

Updated: You can find this webinar recording on Youtube.

The coronavirus has changed many peoples’ day to day routines. For people who rely on public transit, it has created a tension between getting places and their personal safety, not to mention areas where trains or buses are running less frequently. This has resulted in people who deliver meals, people who work in health care, people who work in grocery stores, and other essential workers to turn to biking for transportation.

For some, making the switch to biking is easy. Perhaps they are a recreational bicyclist or have a working bike that they use occasionally. For others, trying biking is hard because they lack access to a bike.

The League of American Bicyclists is excited to highlight how advocacy organizations and bikeshare are helping get bikes to essential workers who need them. Join us and get inspired about ways to bring similar projects to your community. 

• Watch the webinar on Youtube

In New York City, volunteers and advocates at Transportation Alternatives have launched #BikeMatch – pairing unused bikes to people who need them. Based on one staff member’s good deed, the team at Transportation Alternatives built a simple intake form and have now matched over 100 essential workers with bicycles. They also want to help others adopt these ideas and have already seen #BikeMatch spread to #BikeMatchDC. We’re excited to have Transportation Alternatives join us to tell their story and spread the #BikeMatch love!

For bikeshare, the coronavirus has presented new operational challenges. From government orders to change service, to new cleaning requirements and changes in demand due to stay at home orders, bike share has had to adapt quickly. Where cities are allowing operation, JUMP is doing its part with a Free Rides for Essential Service Workers program.

Organizations, healthcare providers and governmental entities interested in accessing free rides (up to 30 min) for front line workers, please get in touch with JUMP via [email protected].

In Washington, DC, they’re offering free JUMP rides to volunteers who are working with grassroots COVID-19 response groups to facilitate delivery of essentials to people in need. We’re excited to be joined by JUMP to hear how they’re helping essential workers and ensuring safe bikeshare during this time.

We know that bicycling is essential. It is amazing to see individuals, through #BikeMatch, and corporations such as JUMP make bicycling accessible to essential workers.

Research tells us that 35% of people interested in riding lack access to a working bicycle. If you can, please consider how you might be able to share the gift of bicycling with essential workers in your community.