Oakland's Adaptive Bike Share Program

Erin Baldassari reports on a new bike share program in Oakland, California, that will offer adaptive bikes for riders with disabilities. The Ford GoBike pilot program will provide short-term rentals of bikes including handcycles, tricycles, and tandem tricycles.

The program is a partnership between the city, private companies, public agencies, and community organizations. The Bay Area has long focused on making bike share accessible to low-income people, but advocates realized more recently that a need existed for riders with mobility issues.

A working group looked to a similar program in Portland to guide the development of the Oakland program. "Unlike the traditional model, which focuses on commuters with a point-to-point system, where users check out a bike in one location and drop it off in another, [Ginger] Jui said the accessibility program is focused on recreation. That’s because people who use wheelchairs, walkers or other supports may not able to take the devices with them on the trip," writes Baldassari.