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Better Bike Share Grant
02/27/2019Bikeshare Hawaii Receives National Grant Award to Expand Biki Outreach Efforts
We're excited to announce that Bikeshare Hawaii was a recipient of a nationally competitive mini-grant funded by the Better Bike Share Partnership! This grant will help us continue to increase the accessibility of Biki by expanding our reach and communication with residents of public and affordable housing, as well as public high school students.
Bikeshare Hawaii’s mission is to provide the public with high quality, convenient, reliable and affordable Bikeshare services that enhance community health and livability, strengthen our public transportation system, and connect people to more places where they live work and play throughout Hawaii nei.
How can we best achieve this? By asking, listening to, and learning from Honolulu residents! In 2019, we’re making it a priority to spend more face to face time with the community and this grant will serve as a step to achieve this. It’s important to us to demystify the concept and technology of bikeshare for those that have walked by our 130+ Biki Stops, or seen someone on one of our 1.4 million trips to date, but haven’t been able to try it out yet, or aren't aware of the affordable resident membership options available.
From past programs and community feedback, we believe there are a few keys ways to help those who may be unfamiliar with bikeshare to get more comfortable on a Biki:
- Review the rights and responsibilities of cyclists, safety tips and applicable laws.
- Get a hands-on tutorial of the bike, the Biki App and Biki Stop.
- Hear true experiences and testimonials about how resident Biki riders save time, save money, exercise more, and have more fun getting from A to B.
- And of course, to actually go for a ride and experience Biki firsthand.
The Better Bike Share Partnership is a collaboration funded by The JPB Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. The partners include The City of Philadelphia, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the PeopleForBikes Foundation. Initially funded in 2014 for a three-year period, The JPB Foundation renewed funding in 2017 for an additional two years.
How are we increasing this access?
In 2018, we partnered with AARP to offer more than 100 Honolulu residents aged 50+ the opportunity to get back on a bike after 1, 10, and even 30 years. The popular program was a great success thanks to support from Blue Zones Project 4M and Hawaii Bicycling League, organizations that will continue partnering with us to implement this new program along with Thrive Global, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Department of Health.
Biki Social Rides, offered to residents aged 50+, included a guided group ride, healthy lunch and a trial membership!
Although the program won't kick-off until mid-march, we recently invited Tippi from Thrive Global, and a handful of Honolulu residents who were brand new to the Biki system, to participate in a trial ride! The morning consisted of a hands-on tutorial of the Biki Stop, Biki App, and bike, as well as a bike safety and etiquette refresher. We then rode as a group through Ala Moana Beach Park and around Kakaako to tour the new POW! WOW! murals, finishing with lunch courtesy of Down to Earth Kakaako!
Get involved
Bikeshare Hawaii is looking for more opportunities to come to your offices, classrooms, and neighborhoods and share our history, mission and impact! Help us by:
- Encouraging your employer to invite us in for a presentation or workshop. They may even consider offering subsidized Biki memberships as a commuter or wellness benefit, like HDR Inc., Mobi and SSFM!
2. Getting a group of friends to attend a Biki Basics workshop in the neighbors you like to ride in. If you have a group of 5 or more ask us about scheduling a private event!
3. Organizing a Biki ride or excursion on your own like Lealyn, a resident who recently began organizing regular group Biki rides to and from Barefoot Beach Cafe!
4. Spreading the word to your teen's high school about the opportunity to host a Biki presentation (we don’t need to tell you a Bikeshare membership for your 16-year-old is cheaper than a car)!
GET IN TOUCH!
Learn more about how you can get involved or support current and future community programming.
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