BIKETOWN Program to Begin Offering Adaptive Bicycles: PBOT

PORTLAND, OR – Since the 2016 launch of BIKETOWN, Portland’s premier bike sharing program, Portland Bureau of Transportation officials have sought ways to expand what BIKETOWN offers –– specifically, providing adaptive bicycle rentals for people with disabilities.

To continue that effort and seek additional input from the community, Transportation Commissioner Dan Saltzman and Transportation Director Leah Treat will host an Adaptive Bicycle Rental Project open house from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, in the Portland Building, 1120 S.W. Fifth Ave.

Attendees to the open house will have an opportunity to check out the different types of adaptive bicycles available as well as provide feedback on other project aspects, like the cost of renting and the process for making a reservation.

Transportation staff has been working with the community to develop the program for months, according to a transportation officials. From interviews at community events and the release of an online survey to an Adaptive Bike Workgroup in March, transportation staff has sought input from people with disabilities, their family and caregivers, and advocates at nonprofits and other agencies working on disability issues.

According to transportation officials, the feedback they've received included requests for:

• a staffed service to assist with bike fitting;
• a place to store mobility devices or service animals; and
• close access to off-street trails.

Based on these requests, which are not offered through many bicycle rental programs, transportation staff has sought partnerships with local bike rental companies that are "much better suited to provide these services," officials said.

"I know the freedom that I experience riding a bike, and I am overjoyed that Portlanders with disabilities will soon have more opportunities to bike alone or with their family and friends," Treat said in a statement. "We are grateful for the participation of Portlanders in shaping this program."

Once it's implemented this summer, Portland's adaptive bicycle rental program will be one of few in the U.S. to partner with local bike shops to provide adaptive bicycles. The bureau will select the partnered shops sometime this spring.

For more on the program, visit www.adaptivepdx.org.

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