Cross-posted to Spacing Votes
BikeShare — a bike-lending program run by the Community Bicycle Network — is in trouble.
Despite their numerous awards — they’ve been recognized locally, nationally and internationally by organizations such as Transport Canada, and the Stockholm Awards for Sustainable Development — the program may be forced to shut down in the new year due to lack of funding. With an election right around the corner, now might be a good time to ask why they’ve never received any funds from the City of Toronto.
Maogosha Pyjor, Bikeshare’s Project manager has a meeting with Adam Giambrone, the chair of the Cycling Committee next week. “We’ve won awards year after year from the city of Toronto, and have supporters across Canada and the world, but sadly this has not translated into a reliable source of funding,†said Pyjor in a press release sent out this morning.
To make matters worse, over the spring, a number of the program’s famillar yellow bicycles were vandallized, adding to CBN’s operating costs. In the last five years, the program has put 243 bikes on the road, with 16 hubs across the city and over 2000 members.
“All non-profits go through this every year, so it sounds as though we’re crying wolf†Pyjor told me over the phone this afternoon, “but the thing is, it has gotten this serious.â€
Pyjor says they’ll need to secure funding by January if BikeShare is going to survive. So far she only knows of one candidate who advocates funding the program as part of his or her platform: Desmond Cole, who’s running for council in ward 20.
If you’d like to donate to BikeShare please call 416-504-2918 or email bikeshare@communitybicyclenetwork.org.
Photo from the Community Bicycle Network website.
