Ride For A Cause: Indego Polar Express

Posted on by Kiera Smalls
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Give the gift of happiness this holiday season by helping us deliver gifts to those in need at Project HOME.

Join us on Monday, December 21st at 5:30pm at our 12th & Filbert station (by Reading Terminal Market). From there, we will head out on a guided group ride to Project HOME’s 1515 Fairmount Ave location to drop off our donations.

In order to participate, you must bring at least one of the following items:

NEW: Hats, gloves, scarves, socks, blankets, pillows, sheets, towels for adults, and toys for all genders K-5.

In exchange for your generous donation, we will waive any usage fees you incur on the ride and Project HOME’s Young Entrepreneurs will serve you cookies, tea, and hot cocoa!

About Project HOME:

The mission of the Project HOME community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. We strive to create a safe and respectful environment where we support each other in our struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.

About Better Bike Share Partnership:

This ride is sponsored by the Better Bike Share Partnership. The Better Bike Share Partnership is an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.

FAQs

Do I need to be a Passholder? You do not have to be a Passholder. We welcome current and potential Passholders to come along for the ride.

Can I ride my own bike? Of course!  

I can’t ride but how can I still donate? Please drop off donations at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia by Tuesday, December 21st. The Bicycle Coalition is located at 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1107. Ask for Katie Monroe, Bike Share Outreach Manager.

Disclaimer: Fees will be waived for Passholders and Walkup users for the time spent riding to and from donation delivery. Anything over the duration of hours will not be waived.

Click here to register.

Faces of Indego: Staying Active

Posted on by Kiera Smalls
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Name: JW Wiggins
Occupation/Interest: Librarian
Neighborhood: South Philadelphia

Favorite thing about Philly: There are just so many neat things to see and do all over the place–I lived for years in a rural area, so I have a great appreciation for the opportunities in our city!  Things are so accessible–whether by walking, transit, or cycling.

Why do you ride Indego? Indego stations and bikes are convenient–within a block of my home in South Philly, my work in University City, and so many of the places I go–even for things like physical therapy in Queen Village.  They are particularly perfect for one-way trips for any residents who have their own bikes, and a great option for showing guests around the city.  I also try to ride them as much as I can instead of riding a bus or train–it’s helpful to keep active throughout the day and week.

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What views do you see on your ride? My favorite rides so far were to check out the crowds during the recent visit by the Pope, really a great Philly experience.  From spring through summer to fall, I’ve seen many sunrises and sunsets while crossing the Schuylkill in either direction.  Every once in a while I’ll alter my route and I discover some new murals (one of the my favorite benefits about living in Philly)–and often, some very friendly people out and about in their neighborhoods.

Any tips for new Indego riders? 1)–add the app(s) to your smartphone if you have one for some great convenience for planning; 2) add the Indego phone number to your contacts and don’t hesitate to call when you have any questions–the staff are helpful, just awesome; 3) explore all the bike lanes and keep your helmet handy to keep Indego a convenient option when you’re out and about!  There are a lot of safe, fun rides to enjoy.

How has Indego impacted your life and/or community? I credit Indego for helping me lose six pounds, encouraging me to enjoy the urban outdoors more, and making it easy for me to be more spontaneous.  I’ve enjoyed more fun times with my friends, gotten more chores done, and been more involved than ever before.

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Passholder Meetup: End of the year celebration

Posted on by Kiera Smalls

Our first Passholder meetup was a huge success! We had a great time chatting with riders, eating delicious dinner and getting to know the faces of Indego. Special thank you to Capital One 360 for hosting. 

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First, we enjoyed delicious dinner from Mia & Me Catering, then we played games, met and awarded the Passholder that rode to all 73 stations, and mixed and mingled for a few hours. 

Thanks again for the fun night and look out for more Passholder meetups via our monthly newsletter! 

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PowerCorpsPHL x Indego

Posted on by Kiera Smalls

On November 17th, the Better Bike Share team led an Urban Riding Basics class and group bike ride for two cohorts of corps members from PowerCorpsPHL. 

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PowerCorpsPHL is a City-run AmeriCorps program that launched in September 2013. The program is designed to support Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s environmental stewardship initiatives, as well as the City of Philadelphia’s youth violence prevention and workforce development priorities. PowerCorpsPHL enrolls 100+ youth annually in a program that provides participants the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to become environmental stewards, secure meaningful work, and become civically engaged members of society.

After a behind-the-scenes tour of Indego’s warehouse and an Urban Riding Basics class reviewing rules of the road and strategies for safely riding in the City, 15 corps members, and a few Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) staff members pedaled together to nearby Penn Treaty Park, where some of the corps members mentioned they’d recently worked on repainting railings and more. The crew admired views of the Ben Franklin Bridge and chatted a bit before rolling back to the Indego warehouse.

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This class and ride was just one part of an ongoing partnership between BBSP and PowerCorpsPHL. Fun fact: PowerCorps members were a part of the Indego launch event in April, and their alumni have been employed as Street Team members doing community outreach work.

Two of the first PowerCorpsPHL alumni to join the bike share team were Chilon Carroll and Jaleel Williford. They were hired as Street Team staff to further BBSP’s outreach efforts. Azephra Hamilton, Better Bike Share Community Liaison with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) and coordinator of the Street Team, said that PowerCorps had already provided Carroll and Williford with job training, so when they came to BCGP they were ready to get to work.

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Carroll had this to say about her transition from PowerCorpsPHL participant to BBSP Street Team staff: “My experience with PowerCorpsPHL was amazing. I had one of the best crew leaders, Mike Herrmann, who was there every step of the way. I had my ups and downs even to the point where I thought I wouldn’t be successful in finishing my hours, but the PowerCorpsPHL staff was so devoted that not only I finished one term, I successfully completed another term. That right there speaks for itself. I’m so grateful to have been a part of an organization of motivated individuals who are there to help me succeed. If it weren’t for Margy Wilcox I wouldn’t have been a part the BCGP Street Team. Because of her, I am where I am and I’m happy that Jaleel and I opened the door for future PowerCorps members to be a part of our journey.”

Most recently, the Better Bike Share Partnership launched a pilot program with two of this year’s PowerCorpsPHL crews. Eighteen corps members, most of whom rode with us to Penn Treaty Park, are participating in a pilot program that provides discounted passes to help them get to their training program work sites. During the job placement assistance process, participants will be encouraged to use Indego as transportation option.

In their first week, the participating members rode an average of ten times!

Stay tuned for more from this awesome partnership! 

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia does outreach and education on behalf of Indego, and their work is made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership, an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.

Faces of Indego: Feeling Hopeful

Posted on by Kiera Smalls

Submitted by: Sarah-Ashley Andrews
Founder/CEO Dare 2 Hope (Suicide Prevention & Awareness Non-Profit)

My favorite thing about Philly is the hope that I feel when I ride through my city, the hope that it will one day be a place of peace and love. I take pride in where I am from. I’m looking forward to the day when we really live up to our city’s motto: Brotherly Love & Sisterly Affection.

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Indego adds the exercise component to my metal wellness plan. I am a firm believer that just as we plan budgets, and other things in life, we need to have mental wellness plans as well. Riding Indego allows me to ride off stress and increase my energy level.

My favorite view while riding is seeing people’s reactions. Riding Indego bikes with Dare 2 Hope sparks a lot of conversation, and we get many words of encouragement during rides. Indego helps you to see little things throughout the city that you may not have noticed in a car or on public transportation. It gives you time to take in neighborhood landmarks, and connect more with the city.

Indego has also helped me to engage my family, friends and community in a healthy activity that they may have not known was so readily available to them. It has also given me another tool for fighting depression and suicide in youth and young adults. My goal in life is to help prevent youth and young adults from committing suicide.

Bike riding is one of the best exercises to do that, and Indego gives me the opportunity to get more people involved in bike riding and believing in the importance of living mentally well. My advice to anyone interested in riding Indego is to just do it! I’ve had people on rides with Dare 2 Hope who have not ridden a bike in years. Once you get on…there’s no stopping you!

Meet Our New General Manager

Posted on by Kiera Smalls
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Kristin Gavin moved to Philadelphia to pursue a Master’s degree in exercise and sport psychology at Temple University in 2007. As part of her coursework, Kristin developed a business plan to make bicycling accessible to individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction.  In tandem with earning her degree, Kristin founded Gearing Up, a nonprofit organization designed to engage women with histories of abuse, addiction and incarceration in bicycling as a means of establishing a long-term habit to promote physical, emotional and social health. Over the past 7 years, Gearing Up has brought bicycling and indoor cycling programs to women’s facilities, including the women’s prison, throughout Philadelphia, creating opportunities for more than 1,000 women to ride a bike.

Over the past decade, Kristin has engaged in bicycle advocacy work as a Research Fellow with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and as a Project Coordinator for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, and is currently is a Philadelphia Cycling Advisory Board member. Prior to moving to Philadelphia, Kristin spent several years working as a tour guide for Bicycle Adventures, a multi-sport adventure tourism company, as well as enjoying her own self-guided bicycle tours through Vietnam and Cuba. 

“Passion and talent –it’s what drives the city’s bikeshare staff and what Kristin brings to Bicycle Transit Systems in her new role of General Manager. Her commitment to bringing bicycling to everyone was evident in her work at Gearing Up, and we see great things in the future for Indego,” said Denise Goren, Director, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities.

“I am thrilled to be tasked with leading an amazing team to ensure Indego is a fun, accessible and reliable bike share system for Philadelphia,” said Gavin.

“Indego launch day felt like Christmas morning, and not just because I am a passholder and frequent pedaler! I love Indego because it is committed to making bicycling accessible to all Philadelphians.  If there is anything I have learned from my own time spent in the saddle over the past 10 years, it is that bicycle riding make the world a smaller place, where people are more connected to their communities – and that’s a perfect fit for Philly.”

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