Portland's Biketown to Include 'Adaptive Bikes' to Ensure Universal Access

Jonathan Maus writes: "The City of Portland took another step today toward fulfilling a promise they made last summer: To make the Biketown bike share program more accessible to people who are unable to ride conventional bicycles."

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has been working on delivering "adaptive bikes" for the Biketown bikeshare system since advocates brought the issue of equity to the foreground last summer.

One advocate on the issue, Chloe Eudaly, has since been elected a Portland City Commissioner.

"According to a press statement, PBOT will make adaptive bicycle rentals available through existing bike rental businesses that located near popular bike paths," explains Maus. "Once the system is up-and-running, people who ride hand-cycles, three-wheeled trikes, and side-by-side tandems, would be able to rent one of the bikes near paths like the Eastbank Esplanade or the Springwater Corridor through a City-subsidized program."

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has also set up a webpage with more details on the adaptive bike program. An August post on the Shared-Use Mobility Center website claims Biketown will be the first bikeshare program in the nation to roll our adaptive bikes.