The Cleveland Refugee Bike Project

The single most important factor affecting social mobility in the United States today is physical mobility, i.e. a person’s ability to get from one location to another. In Northeast Ohio, we have designed a transportation system around and for automobile travel, and we have failed to provide options for people who cannot or do not want to rely on personal cars. Accordingly, many people in this region struggle to get around, whether to jobs, school, or recreational destinations, significantly limiting their personal freedom and ability to improve their lives and those of their families.

This particularly holds true for the 1,000 refugees moving into the region each year. Refugees can provide new life and serve as an economic driver for our region, but only if they are able to access opportunities. Most new refugees lack access to a car, and many struggle to get around on a public transportation system that continues to cut service and raise fares.

The Cleveland Refugee Bike Project will provide 50-100 of these refugees with a bike – an economic lifeline that can connect them to new employment, educational, and social opportunities in Northeast Ohio. By giving the participants the training and tools they need to learn how to bike safely around the region, the program will help them to build a new life in Cleveland and guarantee that the city benefits from all the assets they bring to the table.

We are looking to fund a one-year pilot program, launching officially in Spring 2017. Before the project officially launches, the project partners - Bike Cleveland, Catholic Charities Migration & Refugee Services, and the Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op - will work together to secure the necessary supplies and develop culturally appropriate training curricula to provide to participants.

In the spring, we will arrange for all participants to attend one of our bike safety and traffic skills courses, facilitated by the Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op. Each course will be culturally appropriate for the refugees participating, and all instructions - both written and verbal - will be available in English and the participants' preferred languages. Once participant complete these trainings, we will distribute bikes, helmets, locks, and lights to them.

Participants will be encouraged to take part in group bike rides and activities, including those during National Bike Month (May 2017). Participants will also encouraged to volunteer with Bike Cleveland and the Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op to learn more about biking safety, how to repair and maintain their bikes, and how to advocate for biking in Northeast Ohio. We hope that many of the refugees taking part in this pilot program will be able to share what they've learned with new refugees resettling in Cleveland and push to make the program permanent beyond 2017. 

Approximately 1,000 refugees relocate to Cleveland each year. They can provide new life and serve as an economic driver for our region, but only if they are able to access opportunities. Most new refugees lack access to a car, and many struggle to get around on a public transportation system that continues to cut service and raise fares.

The Cleveland Refugee Bike Project will provide refugees with a bike – an economic lifeline that can connect them to new employment, educational, and social opportunities. We will also give participants the training and tools they need to learn how to safely bike around the region. In this way, the program will help them to build a new life in Cleveland and guarantee that the city benefits from all the assets they bring to the table.

The program meets a number of the goals outlined in the Cleveland Climate Action Plan. It will enhance the resiliency of refugees moving into the city, as well as the neighborhoods that they call home. The program will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health, by promoting active transportation for Cleveland's refugee community. Lastly, it will open up new opportunities for refugees in the region, helping Cleveland tap into their tremendous economic potential.