Fifteen Medford residents (Medfordites? Medfordians? Medfordishes?) got $1100 commuter bikes for $150 last year — 7,819 miles later, most participants are still biking, with encouragement from their peers.
From the Medford Mail-Tribune:
Inspiration for the “Bike First” project came from a similar program in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Chris Haynes of Medford who owns Sims Cycle (pictured) learned about the California program back in 2004, soon after Medford earned a D-grade from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance for its meager efforts to encourage bicycle use.
Haynes wanted to do something to try to make Medford more bike friendly, and he approached RVTD about duplicating the California program here. RVTD’s Paige West picked up the idea and won an $8,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration to buy the bikes. Haynes and West organized an essay contest to choose the winners of 15 commuter bikes. The winners agreed to contribute $150 toward the cost of the $1,100 bikes and ride them to work or use them for trips they would otherwise have made in their cars.
