Each month the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) Education Team hosts a series of Learn-to-Ride classes and bicycle group rides with local organizations that serve underrepresented communities in Philadelphia. The goal is to provide free, accessible, affordable, and equitable bicycle programming for communities in partnership with Indego and their bike share system.
During July, we hosted six community-based bicycle events in North, West, Southwest, and South Philadelphia. The BBSP Education Team partnered with the following organizations:
- Philadelphia Town Watch Integrated Services (PTWIS),
- Indego Ambassadors: We Embrace Fatherhood (WEF)
- Mantua Civic Association (MCA)
- Indego Ambassador: the Drexel 11th St Health Family Center (DHC),
- The Cobbs Creek Environmental Education Center (CCEEC),
- The East Falls Development Corporation (EFDC) and Farmers Market (EFFM).
We started the month with a public safety group ride in the Point Breeze Section of Philadelphia, in partnership with PTWIS and the 1st and 17th Philadelphia Police District, to promote safer streets and positivity throughout the South Philly neighborhoods. We began at the Indego Station located at the Chew Playground Rebuild site and were escorted by the Philadelphia Police on cars and bikes through South Philly’s 1st and 2nd districts. It was great to receive positive “Ayo’s” and “ When’s the next ride?” from folks as we bicycled on Snyder Ave. The small group of participants consists of community leads from both sides of South Broad St.
Indego Ambassador We Embrace Fatherhood organized two group rides in the Mantua section of Philadelphia. In collaboration with Founder/Director Derrick Pratt, we created a Muanta Murals and Safe Spaces bicycle ride. Dewayne Drummond, community leader and member of the Mantua Civic Association, shared the history of key community leaders that helped shape the neighborhood such as Miles Mack, Rev. Dr. Andrew Jenkins, Patti LaBelle, and Herman Wrice. Additionally, We Embrace Fatherhood hosted a Pedal for Peace group ride with the support of the 16th Philadelphia Police District to promote peace, love, and positivity in their community.
We provided an Adult Learn-to-Ride (L2R) class at the 14/06 East Poplar Rebuild site, located at 800 N. 8th St in North Philly, with our newest Indego Ambassadors at the 11th St Health Family Center. It was hot but we managed to get a few folks on bikes and get them started with our 6 steps of learning how to ride a bike. Check the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s L2R video that we created by clicking here.
Lastly, we explored two of our furthest Indego Expansion stations at 54th St and Cedar Ave in Cobbs Creek and Ridge Ave and S. Ferry St in East Falls. The Cobbs Creek Community Group Ride was organized by a local community leader and Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling Coach Vanessa Wimberly. The purpose of the ride was to explore historical locations in the community and advocate for an Indego station at the Cobbs Creek Environmental Center by using the Suggest a Station tool on Indego’s webpage. We ended our adventure at Macho’s Delish Mix with some smoothies and sandwich wraps. We had a majority of positive responses in favor of adding an Indego station at the CCEEC because people did not feel comfortable riding on streets with motor vehicles and would rather ride on the separated Cobbs Creek Trail.
We ended the month with a community group ride in partnership with the East Falls Development Corporation and Farmers Market. The group biked on the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) along the hidden Manayunk Canal and explored the scenic green space and aquatic species that reside in the canal. We also visited the Pencoyd Trail Head located on the opposite side of the Manayunk Canal and took a pleasant midway break at the Ice Cream Shack at Pencoyd. The group ride ended back at the East Fall Farmers Markets where participants used the remaining time to enjoy the market that occurs every Saturday. For more information about the East Falls Farmers Market click here.
Find out more about our free Indego educational classes and ride here. If you have any questions about our programming contact our BCGP Education Programs Manager Lor Song at lor.song@bicyclecoalition.org.