Park Hill Thriving Communities- Denver Department of Environmental Health- the Bike Depot: From neighborhood to city-level impact

In November 2007, Park Hill Thriving Communities, a LiveWell Colorado Initiative, opened the Park Hill Bike Depot, a resource that engages community residents in active living opportunities within their neighborhood. Donated bicycles are fixed and distributed, and bike riding and safety instruction is provided to residents of all ages. In 2009 alone, 50 bikes were fixed per week, putting 2,600 bikes back on the road, and 224 adult patrons participated in bike safety education classes to earn a bike. In total, 364 bikes were distributed through the Earn-a-Bike and other programs. The Depot became an independent non-profit organization in February 2009. With a mission for comprehensive, community-based development of biking in Park Hill, The Bike Depot has built organizational structures for sustainability including an active Board of Directors, a volunteer base of 150, an established bike donation system, self-generated and grant-based funding streams, and extensive community partnerships. The organization is now a hub not only for community residents to come to socialize and fix bikes, but a means by which to advocate for city-wide bikeability policy. The director of the policy committee at the Depot sits on the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee and helps plan and implement strategies of Denver's Bicycle Master Plan.The impact on the community has been tremendous. In the words on one satisfied Park Hill 10-year old girl, “Because…I want to learn how to fix my bike so I can fix my little brothers' bike too!”