This past Friday, BikePGH was on hand to help our friends at The Promise Center learn to safely ride their new bike fleet, courtesy of Pitt Athletics and Pittsburgh Pro Bike. Over 30 brand new bikes for all ages were donated along with helmets, a shipping container to store them safely, and tools to keep them in good riding shape. The youth got to ride their new bikes on a freshly painted “traffic garden” donated by Everline with small versions of typical traffic safety features like stop signs, traffic lights, crosswalks, and railroad crossings that help users learn to ride safely. BikePGH staff and coaches were there to help fit helmets and lead fun educational activities.

The Promise Center, a youth education & empowerment non-profit in Homewood South, has been dedicated to bike safety education for youth in Homewood and nearby neighborhoods since 9-year old Courtney Carter was killed by a driver while riding her bike near her home just down the street. They started the “Courtney’s Promise” program after that tragedy to ensure it never happens again by providing education about safe biking and walking while also advocating for the City to invest in safer biking and walking infrastructure in the area.

The recent “Learn to Ride Safely” event was a celebration of great progress made over the past nine months despite some difficult setbacks. Last October, only two months after Courtney’s Promise was started, The Promise Center’s fleet of ~25 bicycles was stolen. The youth were heartbroken that they no longer had bikes to ride, but the Pittsburgh biking community stepped up to donate bikes and funds to reboot the program. By mid-November, The Promise Center had more donated bikes than they could store in their limited space! A lot of those bikes needed minor repairs before they were safe to ride, so BikePGH staff spent a day tuning them up to revive The Promise Center’s fleet and giving many away to community members.

However, maintaining and storing those bikes continued to be a challenge until last week. We are grateful to Pitt Athletics and Pittsburgh Pro Bikes for donating brand new bikes and a storage solution to keep The Promise Center youth riding safely and happily!

BikePGH looks forward to providing more bike safety education and resources this year in Homewood and across the City! Check out our upcoming classes and programs.

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