As Portland looks into adding adaptive bikes to its Biketown bikeshare system, it’s learned that the needs of users with disabilities extend beyond prior assumptions. As such, the city is planning to partner with bike shops that can offer assistance.
“A partnership with private bike shops met a lot of potential needs,” says Hoyt-McBeth. “They already have a face-to-face human element, an opportunity to store someone’s wheelchair, and many are located on or in close proximity to trails.”
Hoyt-McBeth says the City hopes to eventually offer three types of adaptive bikes: 1) handcycles for those who can’t propel a bike with their legs, 2) tricycles for those with balance issues, and 3) tandem bikes, so a seeing individual could ride with someone visually impaired. A working group is helping to refine the system concept.
Contributor Carol Tyson wrote last year about the accessible bikes included in the College Park, Md., system, and Portland’s initiative appears as if it would address several of the issues she faced with mbike.
Read the complete article at Better Bike Share
Photo: Jonathan Maus, BikePortland