Seeing the amount of interest in the Bike Bus blog (4/15) last month, hopefully we’ll see more kids (and adults) riding to school for bike to work day on the 8th. I know of one more new bike bus and another one possibly beginning in the fall, pending some safe route study. Many more are interested but haven’t hammered out plans yet that we’re aware of. It’s so gratifying to see this starting up in Lincoln. It CAN happen! The weather Wednesday should be perfect for it.
But what about the kids (and adults) who would like to ride but lack a bike or the ability to buy one? Your out-grown or unused bikes can find a new home after being re-furbished.
The Bike Kitchen can help. They have outgrown their current location and are hoping to move this summer to the old Municipal (Muny) Pool building at the southeast edge of the Telegraph District when it is renovated. Ingrid Kirst is currently serving as Interim Director, and she has this to say about the project:
“The Lincoln Bike Kitchen has helped Lincolnites get on bikes since 2010 through repairs and bike distribution. The passionate volunteers collect, evaluate, and prepare bikes for community members. In 2023, the organization gave away 1328 bikes to adults and children while repairing countless other bikes.
In January 2024, Lincoln Bike Kitchen hired its first staff, an interim executive director, to help the board prepare for a permanent executive director. Together they have been updating structures and policies. At the same time, the Bike Kitchen has begun fundraising and renovating the Old Municipal Pool Building in anticipation of a summer move. This new space, located in the Telegraph District, will allow for the expansion of programming.
With an estimated 2025 operating budget of $150,000, the organization is ready to grow significantly with a surge in volunteer engagement, additional open shop hours, and expanded programming. This will result in a significant increase in the number of bicycles distributed in the community.”
If you’d like to learn more about what the position entails and the kind of person they’re looking for, read more here.
And don’t forget next week is Bike Week May 13th through 17th. Check out last week’s blog for details.
Finally, good luck to those riding in the Prairie to Prairie Run-Bike-Run ride, GPBC’s Spring Fling, and the Silver City Century across the river in Iowa, all on May 18th. These are just a few of the rides taking place in the region during Bike Month.
