News, and a plea for help.
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Posted by Paul Tay to CycleDog at 11/08/2006 12:04:02 PM
Maybe you should take in donations and provide the classes free to kids, 4th and 5th graders. There's a lot to be said for teaching kids bike ed, a precursor to driver ed in high skool.
Actually, there are a couple of interesting developments along those lines. First, there's a program in California that offers bicycling instruction to city residents free of charge. I don't know how they fund the program, but I'll find out.
Next, one of our instructors was contacted by the Chicago Bike Federation regarding the Tulsa Community Cycling Project. We run this on a shoestring with a small grant from INCOG, a tiny budget from the Tulsa Wheelmen, and a lot of donated equipment. The bikes and instruction go to social services clients from several local agencies, including the Salvation Army, Exodus House, Day Center for the Homeless, and others. Chicago will have a similar program soon, but they also received a grant for $75,000. They'll be purchasing new bikes rather than relying on donated ones.
Tom Brown and I talked about this over the weekend. He has a nice commuter bike in the shop, complete with heavy duty wheels, fenders, and even a rack if I recall right. All it needs are lights for day and night use. It would be so nice to provide a quality bike to the clients. But of course, we don't have the budget for that.
But...
Next week, the Tulsa City-County Library is offering a class on grant writing and research. I'm going. If it's at all possible, I'll try to get some grant money for our projects.
Finally, there's this - the Tulsa Community Cycling Project is out of space. We have bikes stored in several garages, including my own, and there simply isn't enough space. Worse, one of our instructors will be moving soon, and we'll lose that garage space.
So we need some help. Collecting and repairing the bicycles is a big part of the service we provide to clients. If a church group were interested in helping with this, I'm willing to teach the basics of bicycle repair over a couple of weekends. Hey, if I can do it, it's far from rocket science! This could be a good project for a teen group. Anyone with an interest is urged to contact me.
Posted by Paul Tay to CycleDog at 11/08/2006 12:04:02 PM
Maybe you should take in donations and provide the classes free to kids, 4th and 5th graders. There's a lot to be said for teaching kids bike ed, a precursor to driver ed in high skool.
Actually, there are a couple of interesting developments along those lines. First, there's a program in California that offers bicycling instruction to city residents free of charge. I don't know how they fund the program, but I'll find out.
Next, one of our instructors was contacted by the Chicago Bike Federation regarding the Tulsa Community Cycling Project. We run this on a shoestring with a small grant from INCOG, a tiny budget from the Tulsa Wheelmen, and a lot of donated equipment. The bikes and instruction go to social services clients from several local agencies, including the Salvation Army, Exodus House, Day Center for the Homeless, and others. Chicago will have a similar program soon, but they also received a grant for $75,000. They'll be purchasing new bikes rather than relying on donated ones.
Tom Brown and I talked about this over the weekend. He has a nice commuter bike in the shop, complete with heavy duty wheels, fenders, and even a rack if I recall right. All it needs are lights for day and night use. It would be so nice to provide a quality bike to the clients. But of course, we don't have the budget for that.
But...
Next week, the Tulsa City-County Library is offering a class on grant writing and research. I'm going. If it's at all possible, I'll try to get some grant money for our projects.
Finally, there's this - the Tulsa Community Cycling Project is out of space. We have bikes stored in several garages, including my own, and there simply isn't enough space. Worse, one of our instructors will be moving soon, and we'll lose that garage space.
So we need some help. Collecting and repairing the bicycles is a big part of the service we provide to clients. If a church group were interested in helping with this, I'm willing to teach the basics of bicycle repair over a couple of weekends. Hey, if I can do it, it's far from rocket science! This could be a good project for a teen group. Anyone with an interest is urged to contact me.
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posted by Ed W at 6:31 PM
6 Comments:
In Colorado, when I was on the Transportation Advisory Board in my city I was able to get some city funds to help pay for LCI education for school kids in our city.
From that little program, the city and the two LCIs wrote up a grant request and this year the city is receiving something like $85,000 in Safe Routes To School funding for this program this year. They're now in many the schools within the city, and nearby cities are calling them now asking how they can participate.
Talk to LCIs Lauren Greenfield or Buzz Feldman in Longmont about this. They're both really busy, but Buzz is a little more likely to return your phone calls I think.
Way better use of Colorado "safe routes" funding than some of the other programs that received funding in Colorado.
Your call for help and space sounds like a shoe-in for the Tulsa Peace House. I directed some chick that used to run Hogdepodge to Rev. Val Map Ack of TPH. Chat with her a bit.
Maybe Adam's Little Indy contact at TPS could help out with the grantwriting.
I'm already doing a bike repair gig at the DayCare Center for the Homeless. I just roll a van onto the parking lot and work on my bikes on Sunday afternoons, weather permitting. Nothing flashy or high-profile. There's always someone who stops by to chat. I figure if I can make it a regular enough thing, word'll get around of courtesy bike repair to people who really need bikes for transportation.
Inspired by Cyclelicious, I'm working on some fender designs using coroplast. Plenty to go around for everyone from this election season.
Oh, also, give Bill Veatch a call. He's in the phone book. He's really old, is no longer in action. But, I bet he's got a lotta stuff.
Talk to Sandra about scamming some CMAQ slush funding from the feds. Maybe Sully can get into the act, if he thinks he can earmark it for some extra votes. With the Repug bloodletting from last night, I dare say he'll be very receptive.
BTW, I don't agree with giving away bikes. They are actually very valuable commodities. If ya make 'em put a little sweat equity in, there's pride, even if it cost them something like $40, the average street price of bikes in the homeless market. I've even heard of one dude on the road who bought a pair of his and hers cruisers for $150 EACH. Your jaws would drop if ya saw the rides.
Oh, also, chat with Steve Liggett over at Living Arts about getting TPS and the kids involved with artbikes and kinetic sculptures. Steve and Living Arts runs an annual ArtCar parade.
And, if push comes to shove, I'll take in some of your crap for TEMPORARY storage in my back yard. What's 'nuther truckload of JUNK to add to the already EXPANDING junkyard?
Un Utah, we have the Salt Lake City Bike
Collective (at http://slcbikecollective.org/ )
where old bikes are collected, locals can buy
rebuilt bikes or build their own bike.
On top of that, the collective has a $200K U-DOT
grant to teach LAB Bike Ed for free and pay the
LCIs for their time.
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