Reading,
Pennsylvania has become a new model for Social
Bike Business because the entire city, from government officials to
citizens, support and are proud of their social bike shop. That bike shop has
also led to a bike-share program, a downtown DIY repair station, and bike racks
on busses. New bicycle facilities on the streets are in the works. Read about
this incredible story in
this recent NPR article.
This didn’t
happen overnight. Reading had to hit some terrible times first, including high
unemployment and too many residents below the poverty level. But those bad
stats set the stage for what has become a vibrant structure that now cranks out
programs, run by locals, that are changing the city into a healthy, safe, and
happy place for everyone who lives there. And they started with bikes!
In 2013,
Reading’s mayor called a summit of officials and community stakeholders to take
an honest look at their deteriorating economic situation. They saw the creation
of a nonprofit community development corporation (CDC) as key to the solution
and guided its founding.
That
CDC, called ReDesign Reading, is
now the powerhouse behind programs that engage citizens in recreating their
city – from murals to community gardens and markets to bikes.
Do you
lead a bike program in your city that seems too detached from your city
government? Check out ReDesign Reading then show your city officials. They’ll
have a hard time snubbing such a fantastic model that sets citizens out as the
experts and the very heart of solving a city’s problems. And they’re doing it
with bikes!
Sue
