Despite COVID-19 and a rise in unemployment, on August 29, seven new mechanics completed the One Community Bike Path program in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill and went on to new jobs at Citibike. For those unfamiliar with the program, BikePath is One Community’s coalition with Bike New York, Citi Bike and the Office of City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo. The program provides a path from basics in bike mechanic training with Bike New York to employment opportunities at Citi Bike.
This year, we had 30 students in seven Bike Path classes from January 2020 to August 2020. Among these classes we’ve had a wonderful mix of folks from all different backgrounds who have been able to explore and develop their passion and knowledge of bikes. While COVID-19 certainly presented challenges, we were fortunate enough to be able to adapt and work within these new circumstances and have quite a successful year!
What may often be missed by Citi Bike riders are the amazing community members that are working hard behind the scenes to make the Citi Bikes run! After completing our training, our participants join the bike mechanic crew over at Citi Bike and are currently working both in the field and at the depot. We love to see our community members thrive and find joy and fulfillment in their new careers.
While our classes are paused for the season, we will be re-opening our applications in the late fall. We hope we can continue to uplift our community and the amazing strengths they bring, and set up our participants with rewarding and gratifying careers. Please check back on this page to see when the application opens again. If you have any questions, use Let’s Connect to contact us.
Thank you!
And if you can, please help us keep this program going and donate today.