Program Overview

The Create a Commuter program provides basic bicycle safety education and fully-outfitted commuter bicycles to low-income adults striving to connect to work or workforce development by bicycle.

The program is offered in partnership with local organizations that offer comprehensive employment programs. We currently partner with agencies that serve 30 or more participants in their employment program at any given time that qualify to receive bicycles, and we host our workshops at those partner agencies. We hold 10-15 workshops per year, serving up to 168 people annually.

All of the Create a Commuter bicycles have been generously donated to the Community Cycling Center by members of the community. With volunteer support, our bicycle mechanics refurbish the bicycles and outfit them with everything a bicycle commuter would need including fenders, front and rear lights, locks, pumps, patch kits, tools, and racks.

Since 2001, the Create a Commuter program has been funded through the Federal Job Access Reverse Commute fund administered locally through TriMet. To date, we have provided bicycles and education to over 1,500 adults throughout the Portland Metro area.

Our Philosophy

Our instructors emphasize how the bicycle is a tool for empowerment and a vehicle for change. Through hands-on, experiential learning participants gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to bicycle to work and other places they need to go.

Instruction

Participants will receive instruction on bicycle safety and commuting basics in a one-time, five-hour workshop. Our 1:5 staff-to-participant ratio allows for personal instruction to meet the needs of all participants. From the most basic instruction to advanced riding skills, every participant will start where they are comfortable and grow from there. Our instructors have extensive experience working with low-income adults and receive comprehensive training in the fundamentals of experiential education and bike safety prior to leading a workshop.

All Create a Commuter Participants will learn:

• Mechanical skills
• Safety checks
• Parts identification
• Cleaning and basic maintenance
• Safe riding skills
• Laws and rules of the road
• Helmet fitting
• Making safe decisions on the road
• Group riding skills
• Map reading
• Hand signals
• How to take a bike on TriMet

To be eligible for our program, participants must:

• Be within 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines*
• Be referred by a partner agency
• Be over 18 years of age
• Reside in the Portland Metro Area
• Be able to ride a bike
• Have an expressed need and interest in using a bicycle as a regular form of transportation
• Be employed or enrolled in a comprehensive employment program

To qualify as a partner, agencies must:

• Work with individuals 18 and older
• Be able to verify that all participants are within 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
• Have a comprehensive employment program and retain contact with clients for a minimum of three months
• Provide a case worker to screen participants, enroll them in the program, and provide follow up interviews with participants 30 days after the workshop
• Fill out an Agency Application and be approved by our program

Our partner agencies for the 2009/2010 program year have been chosen, and are listed under the tab to the left. If your agency is not on that list and you would like to be considered for the 2010/2011 program year please see our eligibility requirements above and fill out an Agency Application.

* $16,245 annually for a single member household. See the Federal Poverty Guidelines for more information.

At this time, we are only working with social service agencies to process referrals to the Create a Commuter program.  If you are not currently receiving social services, please note that we offer many low cost bicycles at our neighborhood bike shop.

If you have questions not answered above, please have an agency staff member contact Adult Program Coordinator Zan Gibbs.

Photos by Josh Tillinghast