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Newsletter
Welcome to the seventh edition of the Adaptive BIKETOWN newsletter. We are already wheels-deep into an exciting 2025 with some great events behind us, and more ahead! The shop is open for the season. You can come check us out at the big red barn next to OMSI Thursday-Monday 11am-5pm.
Published
2025 Adaptive BIKETOWN Summer Newsletter
Welcome to the seventh edition of the Adaptive BIKETOWN newsletter. We are already wheels-deep into an exciting 2025 with some great events behind us, and more ahead! The shop is open for the season. You can come check us out at the big red barn next to OMSI Thursday-Monday 11am-5pm.
Thanks to the hard work of our operator Kerr Bikes and our lovely sponsor, Nike, Adaptive BIKETOWN was able to offer the first hour of your ride FREE for Adaptive riders! In 2025, we are excited that the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund is supporting Adaptive BIKETOWN. This program is one of many initiatives under the Climate Investment Plan, PCEF's five-year roadmap to guide investment in community-led projects that reduce climate emissions and cultivate shared prosperity.
Let's make sure our Adaptive friends are connected to the City of Portland. If you have any questions throughout the season or want to speak with someone directly, please reach out to the City of Portland's 311 helpful service.
Here's a message from our friends from PDX 311:
"We want to help create a transportation system that allows all people to feel safe getting where they need to go. Check out 311's webpage full of resources that address personal safety on our streets, including information about how to:"
- report a non-urgent traffic safety concern,
- sign-up for a personal safety workshop,
- report a bias incident or hate crime,
- stand up against street harassment, and more.
PDX 311 is available to help with any local government questions or service needs. Staff are fluent in English, Spanish, Romanian, and Tagalog and have resources for additional languages.
Come on down to the OMSI waterfront, look out for the big red barn, and enjoy a ride on us!
2025 Shared Micromobility
Check out the 2024 BIKETOWN and E-Scooter Snapshot!
In 2024, BIKETOWN saw a 15% decrease in ridership compared to 2023, where e-scooters saw a 7.6% increase in ridership year over year. Overall, users took 1.8 million trips on shared bikes and e-scooters in 2024, a 0.4% decrease compared to the year prior. Find more data about both systems on PBOT's interactive micromobility dashboard. These snapshots provide an overview of program changes throughout the year including fleet sizes and number of BIKETOWN stations. Click below to read about shared micromobility in 2024.
Bike Buddy Program
Have you ever thought or had a friend say: "I would really like to start biking or bike more, but I am just nervous and would love a buddy to join me to offer more support?"
There is a program for that!!!
The amazing folks at BIKELOUDPDX have put together a program called Bike Buddy. This is a program that "matches experienced local cyclists with new or anxious Portland riders. Buddies will meet once or several times based on mentees' needs".
Adaptive BIKETOWN has been fortunate enough to share the resources that are a part of BIKETOWN and we look forward to keeping this partnership going!
If you want to become a mentee or would like to request a Buddy the form is located on their webpage!
The End of an Era
At the end of this riding season, PBOT's contract with Albertina Kerr will be ending after nearly eight years of beautiful partnership. Not only did Albertina Kerr offer Adaptive BIKETOWN space and quality support through Kerr Bikes, it has allowed Portland to serve as an example to other cities world-wide of what an adaptive bike program can look like connected to a city's bike-share program. PBOT and the adaptive community appreciates and acknowledges Albertina Kerr's partnerships as a key to this program's success.
Here is a message from our partners at Albertina Kerr:
Since 2009, Kerr Bikes has made Portland's waterfront more accessible and inclusive through adaptive cycling and community rentals empowering thousands of riders and generating support for Kerr's mission. We're currently working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) as they explore future options for Adaptive BIKETOWN. All adaptive bikes and equipment will be donated to the next operator to ensure the operation's continued success. Until then, take advantage of the sunshine and enjoy a ride at Kerr Bikes.
PBOT is going to be opening up a public Request for Proposals for a new operator later this year. If you know of organizations or opportunities we should connect to, please emailsharedmicromobility@portlandoregon.gov.
Kerr Bikes will complete its final season this year, ending operations on September 30, 2025. Adaptive BIKETOWN hopes to start a new season off in 2026 with a new operator.
Read ahead to learn more about this season's community gatherings!
2025 Adaptive BIKETOWN Community Engagement
Every riding season is jam packed with events where we get to showcase our bike fleet, talk about Adaptive BIKETOWN programming, and just connect with people in our community overall. This season has already kicked off with a few great events!
Adaptive Sports NW Power Chair All Start Soccer Game and Resource Fair
East Portland Community Center Adaptive Recreation Resource Fair
Upcoming Event
This weekend - June 29th 2025 Northeast Cully Sunday Parkways
We are ready for the summer fun at Fernhill Park on 42nd Ave. in Northeast Cully. We are supporting our third adaptive group ride at Sunday Parkways alongside Adaptive Sports NW and Shriners Children's Hospital. Check out the route below!
If you are interested in doing an Adaptive Bike Clinic with the incredible experts and Volunteers of Adaptive Sports NW sign up here and be at NE 37th Ave and Ainsworth by 11:00am!
Adaptive BIKETOWN will have 10 bikes available for a free rental or test ride throughout the day or for the group ride. Remember to bring your ID so we can check the bike out to you appropriately! If you know you want to ride an Adaptive BIKETOWN bike at the Cully Sunday Parkways you can check out the bike options on the Reservation site and email info@kerrbikes.com to check availability and make a reservation!
Bike Fleet Updates!
Each season we purchase new equipment, make improvements to the fleet, and either sell or donate lesser used bikes to make room for new additions!
The Adaptive BIKETOWN fleet continues to grow and diversify options. The fleet now sits at over 30 bikes! Check out some of the Adaptive BIKETOWN fleet here.
Say hello to the new additions to our fleet!
Check out our new equipment that will better support our riders!
We added two new harnesses in Fall 2024 that can be secured by our staff to most adaptive bike seats in the fleet. Please call in advance or mention in your reservation that you would like to use the harness, because it takes some time for staff to set it up on your bike. We also added a number of pedals with toe straps last fall that can be quickly attached to or removed from any pedal in the adaptive fleet.
In Spring 2025 we added side guards to our in-house wheelchair that attaches to the eDragonfly 2.0 Assisted Handcycle by Rio Mobility.
If you would like to see additional accessories added to the Adaptive BIKETOWN inventory or if you would like to be on the waitlist for future bikes that we will be donating to make room for new additions to the fleet, please email info@kerrbikes.org with your requests!
Adaptive BIKETOWN
11am-5pm, Monday-Friday, March-October
Available by reservation at https://adaptivebiketown.com/reservations
1945 SE Water Ave., Bldg B (Big red barn next to OMSI)
Portland, OR 97214
Adaptive BIKETOWN Website: www.adaptivebiketown.com
Kerr Bikes Customer Service
Email: info@kerrbikes.org
Phone: (503) 802-5271 or 311 afterhours
Adaptive BIKETOWN program questions, comments & feedback
Email: sharedmicromobility@portlandoregon.gov
Phone: 311