The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is asking residents to donate extra or unused bicycles in good condition to the County’s BikeMatchMoCo program.
The free Bike Match program, which launched in June 2020, matches donated bicycles with requests from individuals in need who live or work in Montgomery County. BikeMatchMoCo has distributed more than 500 bicycles so far, but demand is still high. The program currently has a list of more than 200 adults hoping to receive bikes.
“By donating your unused bicycle, you can provide someone locally with a means of transportation, which can improve their access to employment, education, healthcare and other essential services,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “A donation also can help you reduce clutter at your home, put your unused bike to use and boost the quality of life for someone else in our community.”
The bike match program also accepts donations of and requests for children’s bikes. Donated bikes must be in ready-to-ride condition and should be cleaned and sanitized before drop-off.
“We have seen an incredible demand for adult bicycles,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “More people are choosing to use bicycles for recreation, fitness and transportation. The expanded network of bicycle lanes, and safety improvements implemented as part of Vision Zero have made bicycling a viable alternative to cars when running errands or commuting. The bike match program is instrumental to getting bicycles in the hands of people who otherwise could not afford one.”
Residents who wish to donate or receive a bike can do so by filling out the online form on MCDOT’s BikeMatchMoCo website. Once a donated bike has been matched to a recipient, a MCDOT representative will facilitate the donation and pickup. The bike donation deliveries are conducted separately, and all information is confidential.
Reprinted from MontgomeryCoMD Blogspot.