A medical assistant’s commute dropped from 20 to 25 minutes on foot to about 6 minutes on a bike from Bikes for Neighbors. The time she gained now goes to walking her kids to school.
By Ben Wyse, Bikes for Neighbors Program Coordinator, Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition
TL;DR · Key Takeaways
Bikes for Neighbors, the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition’s program that connects bicycles to neighbors who need reliable transportation, connected a bike with a medical assistant who had been walking to work every day. Her one-way trip fell from 20 to 25 minutes on foot to about 7 minutes by bike, which returns roughly 30 minutes a day to her family. She now has time to walk her children to their elementary school a few blocks away.
A medical assistant at a doctor’s office walked to work every day. A coworker in the same office was a regular bike commuter and was familiar with the Bikes for Neighbors program.
“Do you want a bike?” the coworker asked.
When people share stories about helping neighbors, they often reach for dramatic impact. Sometimes the impact is more mundane, and just as real.
What changed when she got a Bikes for Neighbors bike?
The family’s car needed $3,000 in repairs. That was too much money, so she walked: twenty, twenty-five minutes each way, every day. Probably calm and peaceful. But slow.
Once she started riding her new bike, the trip took about 7 minutes, depending on how you hit the lights.
Small wins.
What does 30 extra minutes a day mean for a family?
Her trip to work now takes about a third of the time. That adds up to roughly 30 extra minutes a day in her home life, just because she has a bike.
Her kids go to an elementary school a few blocks away. Now she has enough time to walk them there.
When you’re a parent, 30 more minutes at home isn’t nothing. You know?
Why does walking to school matter?
I’m a parent too. In the video above, filmed outside Waterman Elementary in Harrisonburg, I talk about my three children, our years at the school, and how walking to school with your kids connects you to the community around it.
Why do small wins matter?
It’s easy to assume these stories have to be a huge win every time. Most of them aren’t. They’re plain, ordinary wins that stack up.
This one is a real person in our community, maybe a few blocks from you, who can now walk her kids to school.
How can you help Bikes for Neighbors keep people moving?
Your support keeps the shed stocked with bikes so Bikes for Neighbors is ready for the next referral.
How does someone get a bike from Bikes for Neighbors?
Call or text Ben at (540) 578-8504, or reply to any Coalition email. Referrals don’t only come through agencies. Bikes for Neighbors relies on people like you to connect it with folks who could benefit from reliable transportation. Learn more about Bikes for Neighbors.
Ben Wyse is the Bikes for Neighbors Program Coordinator at the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition builds and enhances trails on public lands, advocates for safer walking and biking, and connects communities across the Shenandoah Valley region. Learn more about the Coalition.
