Bicycle Lending Program Takes Shape at Wayside Christian Mission

By Kirby Adams

"I am on a bicycle diet," says a trim Marvin McNiel.  Of course McNeil, whose primary mode of transportation since 1968 has been a bicycle, has been on that diet for almost 40 years. "It humbles me, it slows my brain down and I'm less stressed out," says McNeil.  I met McNeil while learning more about a new program at Wayside Christian Mission.  McNeil is not homeless, but he is helping with a program that will give the homeless the opportunity to use bicycles for transportation or exercise.

Imagine having no car or home and living in a shelter.  You still want to work and for that you need transportation.  And while you're at it, wouldn't it be great if you could just get away from life at the shelter on occasion.  Peter Burkhart has a plan that could make getting to and from a job easier for the homeless. On top of that it would allow those who normally have no means to exercise the chance.  Burkhart is a graduate student working on his masters in social work.  His plan is a bicycle lending facility at Wayside Christian Mission.

"Transportation will be the number one use for the bikes in the lending program, but I hope they will be used for exercise as well," says Burkhart.  His plan is already taking shape.

In the basement of the old Pavilion building, being renovated by Wayside in downtown Louisville , Peter has set up shop.  He already has put the word out that he needs bikes.  So far folks in Kentuckiana have cleaned out their garages and donated about 40.  Some are in good shape and others will be used for parts. All are appreciated! At this point, 10 of the bicycles are in working order.

Joe Wise, a resident at Wayside Christian Mission, has been working on the repairs.  Burkhart hopes to eventually equip each bike with some kind of sound device such as a horn, a basket and rear rack, a reflector, a light and, of course, a helmet.

Safety is a big issue for the bicycle-lending program.  Burkhart has asked Joe Ward, who commuted on his bicycle for 25 years to The Courier-Journal, to teach a safety class to anyone who wants to borrow a bike.  Before residents can borrow a bike, they must learn the rules of the road - how to properly signal a turn or a stop, where to position a bike in traffic and a few tips about maintenance. The class will also include a short training ride.  After a resident has passed the safety program, they will be able to check out a bike and helmet using an ID and $5. 

Five dollars may not be enough to keep the bikes from disappearing, so Burkhart is looking for volunteers and suggestions to make this program successful. Other cities have tried bike-lending programs and the biggest problems have been a lack of respect for the bikes and bike theft. Burkhart hopes residents of Wayside will eventually manage the bicycle-lending program.  But at this point he just wants to get the idea rolling. So he's still looking for donations of bicycles, safety equipment and a storage unit. He hopes to acquire something like a semi-trailer to store the bikes.  

"If we can paint that in some bright colors and keep the bikes locked up there at night I think we can draw attention to our project," said Burkhart.

This leads to Burkhart's next idea. 

"Exercise is good for your physical and mental health, and I have already started to think outside this population at the mission.  I'd like to have a bicycle-lending program big enough that if you wanted to stop by during your lunch hour you could enjoy a nice ride along the Ohio, then turn your bike in and return to work," said Burkhart.  A nice idea, particularly if it's been a stressful day.

Burkhart has spent about $3,000 of his own money to launch the program. He's received help from Highland Cycles and Bicycle Sport.  He welcomes donations and volunteers. 

For more information, give Burkhart a call at 502-895-5974 or e-mail pburkhart@insightbb.com.

Kirby Adams is the consumer reporter for Kentuckiana's News Channel WHAS-11 and a sports and fitness buff. You can e-mail her at kirby.adams@whas11.com. Kirby is also a member of Kentuckiana HealthFitness' Editorial Advisory Board.  

If you know of a little "GEM" or a story you would like to share with our readers, drop me a note about it.

Kirby Adams
c/o WHAS-11 TV
P.O. Box 2588
Louisville , KY 40201