A collaboration among municipalities, schools, businesses and other organizations to promote active transportation across Long Island.
Walking and biking can provide many health, environmental, social/safety and economic benefits.
Start promoting the benefits of Active Transportation to your residents, students or employees on your website, email, newsletters and social media. Our Toolkit makes it easy with sample copy, flyers and logos. .
Host an educational event either virtually or in person to promote the many benefits of Active Transportation, and build awareness about nearby walkable downtowns and recreational bike trails. Let's Move LI volunteers can help you organize the event.
Ready for the next step? Form a committee to develop and implement an Active Transportation Plan to encourage your residents, students or employees to walk and bike. Our Spotlights page can give you ideas of active transportation initiatives in other communities. Also, check out our Resources page for information on the many Long Island resources that can help!
A free bicycle share initiative launched in the Long Island hamlets of Wyandanch and Lawrence, allowing people 18 and older who live in these communities to borrow a bicycle for up to two weeks. The “Bike Borrow Program” is a collaborative effort among bicycle recycling nonprofit Long Island Bicycle Co-op, local community stakeholders, and the NYS DOT Statewide Mobility Services Program. .
“There are a lot of people in Wyandanch who have limited transportation options,” said Gerren Nixon, a Wyandanch resident who is one of the leaders of the Wyandanch program. A dozen bicycles are available to borrow at Spin the Yard, a Wyandanch boutique that has an additional space that serves as a nonprofit community resource center.
Those taking out bikes register and show photo identification. A QR code on the bikes is scanned for tracking purposes and the bikes can be used for any distance.
Spin the Yard’s owner, Renita Certain believes the program can give a boost to people who don’t have access to a car. Besides space for the effort, she is helping to provide bicycle parts.
The bicycles were provided for free by the Long Island Bicycle Cooperative, a nonprofit that rehabs and donates broken or discarded bikes. “These are bikes that would have been trashed and we’re giving them new life," said Tom Gernon, director for the cooperative’s Lake Success location. This was the organization’s first “bike library” and they hope to expand the program to other communities.
The Wyandanch program also has an educational component. Monthly clinics on bike safety and maintenance will be held at the community resource center providing a way for young people to learn more about bicycle mechanics.
A second “Bike Borrow Program” location launched this month in Lawrence at the Peninsula
Public Library. Four bikes have been donated by the Long Island Bike Coop to support this effort.
Five Town's adults without a bicycle can reserve a bike for a day or an extended period. Patrons must be 18-years-old, have a library card and sign a waiver. "The bike borrow program will be part of a library of reuseable things we're starting in July," said Library Director Carolynn Matulewicz.
For information about this program or for help in starting a “Bike Borrow Program” in your community, contact NYS DOT Statewide Mobility Services Program representative Emma Balsam at emma.balsam@icf.com.
Each month we spotlight a municipality or organization that is promoting active transportation on Long Island. Review our past Spotlights for ideas on how to promote walking and bicyling in your community.
Get updates and alerts about active transportation events on Long Island!
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