Next Steps After S.F. Bay Area Adaptive Bikeshare Pilot Program

Emily Nonko reports on a six-month adaptive bikeshare pilot program conducted this summer in Oakland and San Francisco. "The Bay Area is one of a handful of U.S. cities testing or fine-tuning adaptive bike-share — which means answering a looming question of how best to integrate adaptive bicycling into the traditional one-way bike-share model."

The program was modeled after one in Portland, Oregon, that provides a staffed location where users can pick up and drop off bikes while also storing wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Advocates say that programs in the future would ideally offer both staffed sites and adaptive bikes at docks for people to use for one-way trips.

They also say that next steps should involve scaling up these programs as well as increasing awareness about accessibility and shared mobility. "A recap of the [Portland] 2018 pilot found a range of users, including people with disabilities, caregivers, riders not comfortable on two-wheeled bikes, riders with injury or illness, or those interested in trying adaptive cycling," notes Nonko.