100 Bike Giveaway to the needy and underserved of New Orleans

The New Orleans Community Bike Project will use this award to provide 100 free recycled bicycles to the underserved. With a high level of poverty and a year-round bikeable climate and terrain, the working class poor of New Orleans will benefit from a large infusion of healthy personal transport.

The Specifics: What will the $5,000 fund?

The $5,000 will pay for new tires and tubes as well as accessories (lights, patch kits for the bicycle give-away. Additionally the money will also help fund ongoing adult education programs and a bicycle maintenance orientation program for each recipient. We will also team with BikeEasy, the N. O. Bike Coalition as facilitator to ensure that the selection process for recipients is equitable. The bikes will come from an arrangement with our partner Working Bikes in Chicago, Ill. New Orleans is one of the fastest growing cities in terms of population and bike-use adaptation. For 12 years we have been the leading proponent in social equity via bicycle education and we are ambitious about bike use. 100 bikes for 5 grand? Not too shabby!

Discussion

plan b does great work. i wish i could cast proxy votes for the hundred or so of my friends who would vote for plan b. guess I'll just have to invite them to do so on their own.

by peacealready

10 months ago | Reply

Voted and shared with the Facebook world. As a regular visitor to New Orleans, I sincerely hope that your project wins. I love and support your city. Good luck!

by morrison.anne

10 months ago | Reply

I hope they give away 100 locks to go with those bikes.

by nickdoobs

10 months ago | Reply

By request, I am casting my vote for you. I wish you well. You appear to be well organized, as is the other that nearly got my vote (www.firstascenders.org). You both appear to be well deserving groups. If I could, I'd provide personal funding as well to your both. If I ever strike it big, I'll keep you in mind. I do have a problem though with the concept that you are apparently limited to "under served" which is to say, in most cases, low income and/or urban areas. Our economy has seen and shown that it is not only the urban world that lacks for things as simple and necessary as a bicycle. In fact, no longer (I hope) will people judge what one has or doesn't have or for that matter needs or doesn't need by geographic location. Learning to rock climb and think critically is as important to off-spring of well to do suburbanites as it is to urban youth at risk. Likewise, a bike to call your own, that works, and the skill to maintain it, is and should be an extremely important part of growing up, inner city, or in suburbia. What is even more important is that we stop assuming that because of where one lives, they do or don't have the means to obtain these things. I know, I'm living through it. Best to both organizations! Keep doing good, but doing it good!

by matt.fen.7

10 months ago | Reply

Tip for voting: Easiest way to vote without registering with your email address, is to use your Facebook Login to register! Just Click facebook's 'CONNECT' button. Your vote is counted instantly!

by Mona.Lisa.in.CT

10 months ago | Reply