Here at Thrive, bikes and trails are a big part of our story. They span our priorities of healthy living, connected communities, and economic development. Our free rural bikeshare model has been a roaring success that communities across the state and country look to for guidance. But we’re not stopping any time soon! Our latest expansion to the program was made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership. With their help, we are launching an Earn-a-Bike program! BBSP highlighted Allen County and Manhattan, Kansas in a recent article on bikeshares coming to rural America. Check it out:
In the U.S. and around the globe, bike share systems are predominantly found in cities, a trademark of places keen on cutting down their carbon footprint, improving mobility options and relieving congestion. As with many things—like accessible healthcare facilities and grocery stores—rural America has been left behind.
It’s an unfortunate trend because rural Americans, who make up 15% of the population, arguably have the most to benefit. Not only do they live further afield of essential services, with limited transportation options for those without a vehicle, they also suffer from numerous health disparities compared to their urban counterparts. Studies from the CDC highlight that rural Americans are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke than those living in cities. On the list of things that can be done: Encourage physical activity.
Thrive Allen County, the largest and most prominent rural health advocacy organization in Kansas, was founded in 2007 in order to promote more holistic healthcare in Allen County, which has a population of around 12,000 people. That means promoting initiatives like safe housing and early childhood development alongside things like health insurance assistance and the local farmers market.
“Our work is not just about helping people get to doctors’ appointments, it’s also about having access to trails and to playgrounds and having transportation services,” says Jessica Thompson, deputy director of Thrive Allen County.
In the last 15 years, the organization has been pivotal in helping the community transform from a place that had zero hiking and biking trails to one that will have 43 miles by the end of this year. In 2018, Thrive Allen County launched a free bike share program with the hope of getting more visitors and locals alike on those trails. What started with five bikes in one location has since grown year over year to now include 45 bikes in eight locations.
“We quickly found that the majority of people using our bikes were using them as their main source of transportation to get to work, to get to the grocery store, to get to doctors appointments, or to just get around town,” says Thompson. “They were also using them for weeks and weeks at a time.”
In order to encourage the trend, Thrive Allen County decided to launch an earn-a-bike campaign, where frequent system users would receive a bike upon the completion of a maintenance course, as well as a series of bike workshops. That program, which launched just a couple of months ago, is now underway.
“The number one reason why people stop biking is that a chain breaks or a tire gets spent and they don’t know what to do or how to fix it,” says Thompson, noting that 17% of the county’s population is low-income and unable to purchase expensive gear like a new bike. “We wanted anyone in town to be able to learn how to maintain a bicycle if they wanted.”
Using BBSP mini-grant funding, the nonprofit will hire a local ambassador to offer free bike repair workshops to residents countywide, setting up shop during farmers markets and other community events, such as “Back to School Night” and the annual “Sidewalk Sale.” Thompson hopes the come-and-go, casual setup will draw more people in and encourage them to ask questions. Thrive Allen County hopes to empower locals and increase ridership as it continues to build up trails and work on connections between localities.
