Public Administration and Policy invites you to get involved with our March Nonprofit of the Month: Bike Athens!
Bike Athens is a local nonprofit that works to build equity in transportation. They believe affordable, accessible transportation is a critical component of social and economic mobility.
They envision a comprehensive transportation network that all Athenians can use with confidence and ease. Their mission is to promote cycling, walking, and transit as solutions to transportation needs in Athens through education, advocacy, and community service.
Bike Athens has some great events and good ways to help out the community:
Fix Your Own Bike
They have a fix your own bike night every Thursday from 6PM-8:30PM. There is a $10/hr suggested donation and all bikes are welcome. You don’t have to know what is wrong with your bike to know something is wrong. Bike Athens can help you figure it out and fix your bike.
Check out their Joy Ride on March 29th at 6pm. This is their monthly group ride around Athens that provides a fun and safe atmosphere for all skill levels, and ends in a social gathering downtown. You can register for this event here.
Another great way to help out is to donate your gently used bikes. They refurbish donated bikes to give to Athenians who need affordable transportation. Bike Athens works with local service partners to get bikes to the adults and kids who need them most. They depend on donations and volunteers to continue the cycle. They include a helmet, lights, and a lock with each bike that they donate. Donate bikes at their shop during open hours, or contact them to make other arrangements, or drop them at the Athens-Clarke County CHaRM. The Bike Athens shop is located at 1075 W Broad Street.
They also host a free class called How to Bike, Athens. The next one is March 26th at 6pm. Join BikeAthens to learn how to bike, Athens. These short classes condense the “need-to-knows” of city riding into quick, flexible units and emphasize the information most needed to make riding around town more enjoyable. These class are perfect for those looking to explore more of Athens by bike.
There are many different ways to engage with Bike Athens. Now that the weather is warming back up, it’s a good time to make sure your bike is in order, brush up on those biking rules, and have a good time taking a ride with some local Athenians. Don’t have a bike? No problem, you can purchase one at the Bike Athens shop, and help their cause at the same time!
